Beauty and the Boss
by Bugaboos
Summary: A Guzma/Reader Beauty and the Beast AU! You've heard the rumors about Po Town. You've heard of Team Skull, and their leader, Guzma - cursed by the Tapus to remain within the rundown town and transform into beasts at night. But you don't believe these tall tales, do you? Well, you didn't until the day you boldly venture to the town to retrieve your sister's Yungoos.
1. Once Upon Po Town

Author's note: Hey! Thanks for joining me. And welcome to my second Guzma/Reader fic! Everyone's hype for Beauty and the Beast right now, myself included, and so we have this AU. A few notes to understanding: basically disregard game plot. Reader is not game protagonist and this is going to more closely follow the plot of BatB rather than having much to do with the plot of Sun and Moon. This is also set in, I guess, modern day Pokemon world? Just don't picture old time-y is what I'm getting at. Also don't expect this to follow the plot of BatB 100%. Definitely gotta have a least a few surprises for you, so I'm taking some liberties with plot points and characters.

Any other confusions? Let me know! My Guzma trash blog on Tumblr is Bugaboozma. You can directly ask me questions there! I also will often discuss fic I'm writing there, and I occasionally will put things to a vote there too. So head on over if you wanna talk!

* * *

They say that Po Town was once magnificent. The entire town was owned by a wealthy family, who only let the most prestigious of Alola live among them. It was a beautiful and immaculate gated community, and its crown jewel was the enormous mansion where that family lived. There was the kind mother, the cold father, and their troubled son.

Try as they might to encourage their son to become the prim and proper man they felt he should be, he could never live up to their expectations. He was a misfit in the town he would one day be expected to lead. In the shadow of their disappointment, he grew more troubled. The father, in turn, grew even colder, and the mother grew ill. When she died, coldness turned to cruelty, and trouble turned into delinquency. The son took on unsavory friends from outside the town and became a leader in his own right.

He called his band of outcasts Team Skull. His father called them criminals. The rift between them became irreparable. Father and son would never see eye-to-eye, not even on the day the father died, and suddenly Po Town was left in the son's hands.

The son, now truly free to do as he pleased, ran the wealthy and opulent out of town. Po Town was now the headquarters for Team Skull. They terrorized Alola, stealing Pokemon, destroying property, and claiming what they could in the name of their leader. The son used his team as a means of lashing out, wanting to inflict as much fear and pain on the region as he had felt growing up. He longed to become powerful, and so had his team steal only the best Pokemon they could find. As he and his team grew stronger, he also became more selfish and shallow. Soon it seemed as if his brutal grip on Alola would be unstoppable.

But those who disturb the peace of Alola may find themselves facing the wrath of the Tapus. When the four island deities grew wary of watching Team Skull's antics, they came to Po Town one night, disguised as four children, and walked up to the mansion. There, they offered the son a simple Comfey in exchange for shelter from the terrible storm outside.

He laughed at them and rejected their offer, saying he had no need for such a weak Pokemon. The four asked if he was sure this was the path he wanted to go down, as perhaps there was more beneath the surface than he realized. Again, he dismissed the children and their Pokemon. It's then the Tapus revealed themselves, and the son saw his mistake, but it was too late. They cursed him, Team Skull, and Po Town with these words:

If you act as beasts then beasts you will be

And by the moonlight all shall see

At night your outside will match what's within

A grotesque appearance to mark your sin

And like a beast you will be caged

Here you'll remain and shall not be aged

To leave this place will bring you death

Cross the border to breathe your last breath

Those you've harmed will know you as rumor

You'll grow forgotten sooner and sooner

They'll fear this place as well they should

For the terror you've brought this neighborhood

But should you learn to love another

By the time the flower's life is smothered

And earn another's love as well

You will be released from this hell

And so Team Skull continues to haunt Po Town, or so the story goes. No one even goes near the gate, believing the town to be cursed. Some say they've seen the beasts that they turn into at night, prowling the perimeter, waiting to snatch up anyone or anything that gets too close. As for the son, he turns into the most horrific beast of them all, so he stays alone and despaired in the mansion. There he guards the enchanted Comfey the Tapus brought. He keeps it safe for with its death also dies the chance for breaking the curse. He only has until its last petal falls. As time goes on, he and Team Skull continue to lose hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Little Town, It's a Quiet Village

"Ridiculous," you tell your little sister as you continue washing dishes at the kitchen sink. She's returned home all excited and even a little frightened to tell you this tale. It's one you've heard before, having grown up here, but you suppose it's her turn to learn of it. "Of course Po Town isn't cursed. It's just... abandoned. It never stops raining there so people eventually left the town."

Alana looks at you with all the indignation a thirteen-year-old can muster. "It's no more ridiculous than all the books you read!"

"The difference is, I know those are books."

She crosses her arms in a way that suddenly reminds you of your mother. Whereas you had been told you had inherited the beauty of your grandmother on your father's side, your sister grew to look more and more like your mom every day. Certain expressions would bring it out more, like the one she has now. Alana continues, "You used to be so much more fun. Don't tell me you're finally becoming an actual boring adult."

"Me? Never."

"I dunno. The only thing you dream about any more is that library in Malie."

"Is that so bad? Better than believing some story I heard at school. 'If you act as beasts then beasts you will be?' It's not even a good poem. Which one of your friends made that one up, huh?"

"It was Teresa's grandma, actually. You used to love stories like this. Sometimes it's like - it's like there's no magic left in you."

"Ah yes, well, apparently it was replaced by bitter adulthood," you say splashing her a bit with water from the sink.

Alana wipes at the water, rolling her eyes, and leaves you to finishing the dishes.

But the "magic" as Alana had called it, does feel like it's left you in many ways. You're pretty sure it left with your parents on the night they both passed away. Suddenly you were no longer just "sister," but "parent" too. You were already technically an adult when this happened, but you were surprised to find just how much more growing you had left to do when you suddenly found your sister in your sole care.

The "magic" Alana speaks of, is many things. It's hope, it's child-like wonder, it's the ability to dream a little outside the realm of possibility and have the faith that those dreams just might come true. And as the years go on, and your struggles continue, the magic continues to fade. You cling to bits of it, fearful of how dreary life would be without it, but you often find it slipping through your fingers. Except, that is, when you're reading a good book. It's why you love to read and write as much as you do. It's why you had hopes of one day being a librarian at Malie library; perhaps writing your own books on the side. There's only one place where the magic is still good and strong, and it's between the covers of the numerous books you're always reading.

But your sister is different. She's growing older, but she's yet to lose her wonder, even with all she's been through. She's stubborn, headstrong, and even troublesome at times. Raising her was not always a task you were prepared for. She could be unpredictable and, you worry, a little too gullible, like truly believing Po Town houses a gang that turn into beasts as night. You shake your head a bit. Someday she'd learn to distinguish between reality and fairytale. Maybe someday she'd limit her escapism to books too.

You also can't help but feel sympathy for your younger sibling. She doesn't get to grow up with a set of parents like her friends and classmates. It's hard not to feel like outsiders when living in a village full of families, while yours only contains two people. Tapu village is small and boring. You know the two of you stick out. You know there's gossip, both good and bad about you and what you've done right and done wrong in raising Alana. Everyone has an opinion and too much time on their hands.

Time was not something you had a lot of. You were currently holding down two jobs trying to support the both of you and give your sister some semblance of the kind of life you had growing up. Neither job paid all that well and you did not enjoy either. As they took up more and more of your time and energy, the dream of one day moving to Malie and becoming a librarian becomes more and more distant.

You did your best to put on a happy face for Alana, but the two of you were not leading anything remotely resembling a charmed life. No wonder the magic was fading.

As you dry your hands after finishing the dishes, there's a knock at the door. You know who it is before you even answer. Speaking of magic fading...

He's your boyfriend. Well, sorta. Maybe. Mostly. Close enough anyway. He's ok. Garret is everything you should want. Or, so you've been told. He's handsome enough, and he's the current champion of the island challenge. He's tall, broad, and imposing, with impeccably kept dark hair and the sharpest jawline you've ever seen. True, you know other girls in the village are jealous that he's decided to spend his time on you, but you can't help but find him a little, well, boring. And a little full of himself. But like so much of your life, you were trying to learn to settle. What chance did you have of leaving the village and finding someone else anyway. Garret was good enough. Great even... if you could get past the bragging, boasting, and general disregard for anyone who isn't himself.

You open the door and he's immediately inside already going on about the challengers he faced that day while defending his title and how they didn't stand a chance against the likes of him. "And that's it!" he says. "Just one good ZAP! Just one thunderbolt and that Primarina goes down! Ha, you should have seen the kid cry. Just puddles and puddles of tears. Must have really worked hard to get to me but - hey are you listening? This is the best part! The kid was bawling!"

You nod absentmindedly.

Garret continues. "And then there was this girl - and get this - she couldn't even take out one of my Pokemon! I knocked out all six of hers just with my Incineroar! Ha, guess no one's ever been champion like Garret, huh?"

"Guess not. So today I -"

"Wait, wait, babe," he interrupts you. "You gotta hear this next one!"

He continues, ignoring your small sigh of frustration. Garret was never interested in hearing about your day, why would today be any different?

There's another knock at the door, and Alana comes flying into the room, rushing past you to answer it. Two of her friends from school are there; a boy and a girl you recognize as Teresa and Adam. "Are you ready to go?" Teresa asks her.

Garret is still going on about beating down challengers, not noticing that you are no longer paying attention and are instead focused on your younger sister's conversation. "Go where?" you ask the three teenagers.

All three look a bit sheepish for a moment, then Alana defiantly meets your gaze. "We're going to Po Town," she says.

"Alana, no you are not."

"Why not? Even you said the stories aren't true!"

"It's getting late, it's a school night, and there's probably other dangers in an abandoned town besides fairytale beasts."

"We won't be gone long! Please, please just let me go."

"No, Alana!"

"But-"

"You're not going to change my mind on this."

Alana falls silent. "Just go," she mutters to her friends. The two reluctantly retreat. When they're gone, Alana takes the door and slams it as hard as she can.

"Alana!," you yell, surprised.

She storms past you, a whirlwind of teenage fury and frustration.

"Alana, wait!"

She turns, her face twisted in anger. "Just leave me alone! I don't even know you anymore! You're nothing like you used to be! You're an awful sister, and an even worse mother!"

You're put into stunned silence at her words as she continues on her way up the stairs and to her room, slamming that door as well.

"Hmm," says Garret behind you then. "Yikes."

You put an anxious hand to the side of your face. You were still fairly young yourself; how could you be expected to raise a teenager? You thought about what you would want in this situation at Alana's age. You decide to give her some space.

* * *

You're sitting with Garret having coffee now. You're not a fan of coffee. You don't hate it either, you just kind of put up with the taste. It's a lot like Garret in that way. Coffee is his favorite, but yours? You're partial to Tapu Cocoa, which Garret wouldn't touch, so coffee it is. He's telling the story of how he became champion for the millionth time because, "you love it so much, babe." You did not love it, and by this point you could almost recite the story word for word. It's a dull night, but you suppose it beats being alone.

As Garret continues, your mind wanders to Alana. You haven't heard a peep from her upstairs. Was she not getting hungry? Was she not any less angry? It's been hours now. Should you check on her? You offer Garret shortbread cookies to go with his coffee and make your way to Alana's room while he's distracted.

You knock on the door. There's no answer. "Alana?" you call.

But she says nothing.

"Alana, please. Come get something to eat."

Again there is no answer.

"You can't stay in there forever. Will you please talk to me?"

Silence.

"Alana, I'm coming in!"

But when you open the door, there's no one there. Instead you see an open window and the night breeze gently rustling the curtains. You run to the window and look out. There's finger prints and shoe prints in the dust and dirt on the rain gutter going down the side of the house. You suddenly regret showing her how to climb down the gutter all those years ago when you were younger and you both shared this room.

From the open window you suddenly hear yelling and crying outside. It's loud, panicked, and desperate. Neighbors are coming out of their houses to see what the commotion is. One of the voices you recognize as Alana's. Cursing, you leave the window, and run back down the stairs to the front door.

When you open it, there are Alana, Teresa, and Adam. All three are soaking wet, muddy, ragged, and crying.

"Alana!" you yell as she rushes into your arms.

"I'm sorry!" she wails. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! They took him! They took him and we have to get him back!"

Neighbors have gathered around the scene, murmuring. You try to ignore them and focus on your distressed sister. "Who took who?"

"Team skull!" she shouts, earning a couple gasps from the gathered. "The beasts! They took my Yungoos. It's real!"

"You went to Po Town?"

"I know you said not to go but I did and you have to get him back!" She's in hysterics.

"It's true!" Adam yells. Looking up, you see the other two teens are with their parents now. They had also emerged to see what the drama was, and look a little mortified that their children were apart of it as well.

"I - I don't know what you saw, but I'm sure it wasn't beasts," you say, though doubt has started to creep into your mind now.

"Please!" Alana says. "We have to get Yungoos back!"

Her Yungoos had been her companion since she was very young. If he has been taken, you know there won't be peace until Alana has him back. "Alright, alright. I'll go find your Yungoos," you tell her, hoping that will calm her wailing. Part of you wants to go just to set your mind at ease that there really are no beasts lurking in Po Town.

But what if there are? You look to your neighbors. "Anyone want to go with me?"

There's more murmurs and the shaking of heads. "We don't go to Po Town," says Teresa's mother. Clearly the parents of the other two had been unaware of the teen's travels as well.

You turn to Garret, who'd come to stand behind you. He shrugs. "Like she said, we don't go to Po Town," he repeats.

It was a phrase you'd heard occasionally growing up, but you certainly didn't put much stock in it after becoming an adult. How could anyone? Their resoluteness puts more doubt in your mind. Could it really be that dangerous? No. No it couldn't, it was just an abandoned town. The three kids probably saw some wild Pokemon, got spooked, and ran away. Fine then. You'd go alone; prove to yourself and everyone that there was nothing in Po Town. And better to go now, before anything happens to your sister's Yungoos.

You reach into your pocket for a Pokeball and call out your Mudsdale. You climb on saying, "I won't be gone long. Garret, watch Alana."

"Well, you are in for a treat!" he tells Alana. "Come inside and I'll tell you how I made several challengers cry today."

Alana gives you a pleading look as she's lead inside by Garret.

You give her a gentle smile, then you're off in the direction of the abandoned town, eager to get your sister's pokemon and show everyone just how harmless Po Town is.


	3. Come into the Light

You have never been to Po Town before and it takes you forever and several pokemon to get there. You wonder how Alana and her friends did it. Had they borrowed a ride pager? If not, whose pokemon had they used? Well, something to question her on later. For now, you were focused on getting there and getting back as quickly as possible.

You're already a sweaty mess by the time you see the tall walls surrounding the town. When it begins to rain, you're almost grateful for it, as it cools you off. But as you draw closer, the rain grows heavier and heavier. You can't help but feel like the downpour is trying to... warn you away. Still, you persist until you've rode up on your Mudsdale right to the gate. You peer through the rain and dark up at the wall. It's imposing to be sure, but you can't figure out what the kids were so fussed about. Now, where would that Yungoos be?

You call for it and look around, but it's hard to see and you're beginning to wonder if this was a fool's errand. You ride around the gate, straining to see, and nothing. Your search continues to be fruitless. You sigh. Well, at the very least, this got you out of the house and out of your usual routine. Much more exciting than listening to Garret prattle on anyway. You continue to hunt. Fool's errand or no, you hadn't come all this way to give up.

From the corner of your eye, you see a shadow move. Your Mudsdale is spooked and rears up. Your hands grasp for his mane, but the rain has made everything slippery. Your fingers can't find purchase and you fall from the horse pokemon. You cry out and hit the muddy, wet ground. It's a rough fall that you know will leave bruises, but you seem unhurt otherwise. You quickly reach for a pokeball, and recall your Mudsdale that had started to gallop away.

You get to your feet, rubbing at an arm that still pained from your fall, and you see shadows move again. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Was there someone - or something - there? Was your mind playing tricks on you? You take a step forward, and you swear you see more shadows dart around. Then, in a ring around you, are suddenly numerous pairs of glowing red eyes. This could not be happening. Was it really... the beasts?

The eyes begin to move closer. You reach for a pokeball, but a shadow moves closer and swats your arm away from its destination. You catch a glimpse of the shadow's true form in its close proximity. They're Lycanrocs. All of them. Midnight form Lycanrocs. Each wears a bandanna around their neck. They're black bandannas with a white design around the widest part.

They're moving around you now, nudging you along, growling in reprimand when you move in a direction they don't want. Where were they herding you? You stumble along, making a few attempts to reach for your pokemon, but they stop you every time. You look around in the dark and rain and realize they're aiming you towards the doors of the gate. They want to bring you inside Po Town.

You panic, and rush backwards, but two of them are there, growling and ready to pounce. They're all around you. There's no choice but to go where they want. As you approach the doors, they open, and the Lycanrocs pour inside, you among them. When the whole pack is in, the doors close. You're within Po Town now.

This is not the abandoned town you pictured. Trashed, yes. Disheveled and dreary? Check. But abandoned, overgrown, and forgotten? Strangely, no. You're not sure how, but there seems to still be electricity running through the town. There's light coming from several street lamps - the ones that aren't busted anyway. There's bright, acidicly colored graffiti covering any open, broad surface; even on the ground in a few places. Certain areas are busted up or boarded up, like there had been attempts at repairs by those who had no idea how to repair anything. It's in disarray, but it's also strangely beautiful. If you were to take away this topcoat left behind by a careless gang, you'd be left with an impressive and wealthy looking town. There's multiple houses of intricate architecture, and you find yourself wondering what the place looked like before it was trashed.

You peer ahead, and in a flash of lightening, you see it: the enormous mansion from the story. It's the largest building in the town by far, and the most exquisite... even if it too is just as covered in graffiti and grime as the rest of the place. You see a huge, odd symbol in the graffiti. Is that a skull? As in Team Skull? So it all really is true?

The Lycanrocs lead you on, prodding you further into the town, towards the mansion. You know you should be frightened, and you most definitely are. To a degree. But you're also, well, excited. Your curiosity has been piqued. It's as if you're in one of the novels you can't put down. Far more of an adventure than either of your boring jobs allowed. More unpredictability than Garret or Tapu Village could offer. You feel some sense of the "magic" returning to you, seeing that there is indeed more here than you thought. You internally chastise yourself a bit, and remember why you're here. Right, the Yungoos. You look around for it as your captors continue to usher you onward, but you see nothing but Lycanroc.

One of the pokemon pounces on the door of the mansion and it swings open effortlessly. As you pass through, you note it's clawed appearance as well as the wreckage of the foyer. The pack had clearly been through here a few times. Or, something capable of this kinda destruction had been. Who was it the stories say lived in the mansion? The son? Was he real as well?

You're brought to a halt before a staircase. The pack goes quiet and apprehension is fast taking hold of you again. The mansion is dark, and the storm outside does not help the haunted feeling it has.

"Well," says a voice from the top of the stairs, breaking the unnerving silence. But the voice has such a strange, growling quality that it chills you. You almost would have preferred the silence. You squint up the staircase, but all you can make out is shadow and another larger set of glowing red eyes. The deep, animal-like voice continues, "And just what are you doing here?"

You say nothing, still trying to process everything. It's all so strange that you almost feel like you're watching the situation rather than being a part of it. This voice is talking to you?

"Are you listening, girlie? Why have you trespassed here?"

"I - I," you stammer. "I'm looking for my sister's Yungoos."

There's a howl of laughter. "You mean the one we picked up off those three kids earlier? They're lucky all we managed to take was a Yungoos. Property of Team Skull now, I'm afraid."

You feel a flicker of anger and protectiveness within you on your sister's behalf. "The only one that pokemon belongs to is my sister. And I won't be leaving here without it."

The voice growls even lower. "What makes you think you'll be leaving here at all?"

"You can't keep me here!" you yell, panic running up your spin.

"Hey, you came into our territory, we caught you, you're our prisoner now. Kinda how this whole thing works."

"And who are you to keep me here? Who are you?"

The stairs creak as the voice takes a step down them. As he descends, you first see what appears to be two paws, then you gasp as the rest of him is revealed in the light coming through the windows of the foyer.

He's caught between a man and a beast. He looks like a human midway through transforming into a Lycanroc. He's covered in fur and his face ends in a pointed snout. He's a monster. A gold chain hangs around his thick neck ending in a medallion shaped like a Skull. Lopsided sunglasses rest in the fur atop his beastly head. He gives you a frightening smile and says, "The name's Guzma, doll. And welcome to your new home."


	4. I'll Show You to Your Room

"Excuse me?" you say before you can stop yourself. You know logically that you should be more afraid, but right now your dominant emotion is defiance. Something has been reawakened in you. There's a fire inside whose flames you had long forgotten. You find fight forged from those flames. It's the same fight that had been on Alana's face when she had confidently told you in front of her friends that she was going to Po Town. The same feeling that had led her on a wayward adventure earlier that night. You hope that this feeling, now that you've found it again, won't lead you astray too. "I'm taking the Yungoos and leaving," you say to the half-man-half-beast standing above you midway down the staircase.

Guzma looks perplexed for a moment. Then, in a flash of fur, he covers the space between you in an instant. Now he stands in front of you, looming down, eyes glowing, and teeth bared. Now that he's close, you can see his fur is a different color from the rest. Where the others had a muddy red to their coats, his was a deep blue-green. You glare up at him, refusing to back down, your hands on your hips.

He emits a low growl, but you do not move. Then he slumps a little at your stoicism, the growl dying in his throat, and his lips lower. His head turns to the side a bit as he stares at you, like a dog that's heard a high-pitched noise. "Ain't you afraid?" he asks.

"Of some wannabe gangster furry and his bunch of mutts? No. Should I be?" you say sarcastically.

Guzma gives you that toothy smile again and lets out a laugh that sounds almost like a bark. "Yeah, you should." He suddenly swoops down and picks you up in his paws, throwing you over his shoulder. You fight, but he's too strong. All your efforts don't seem to affect him at all. He carries you up the stairs as the Lycanrocs bound beside him, howling and carrying on. Guzma talks over them. "We call this place Shady House, princess. You, get to call it home."

"I call it a dump!" you yell at him.

He huffs, amused. "I'll be sure to tell the interior decorator." When you don't respond, he continues. "You need anything, Team Skull is happy to oblige. Only, ya know, that's gonna be a little difficult at night." He gestures to two of the Lycanrocs who are engaged in a tug-of-war over a sock. "Things are a little more civilized during the day. Mostly."

"So you really are cursed?"

"In more ways than one." He continues further into the mansion.

"I'm not helping you break the curse."

"Did I ask you to? Nah, you've got another purpose."

"And what would that be, huh? Team dog walker."

"Nope," he says. "Entertainment."

"I'm afraid I didn't come armed with squeak toys."

He laughs again. "You sure got a fire up your ass, don't you?" He comes to a stop in front of a door. "Don't often get visitors. I'm sure they're all gonna be anxious to hear what the outside world is like now."

"Won't be hearing about it from me. As soon as I find that Yungoos, I'm gone."

"Oh come on," he says, opening the door and setting you down inside. "We ain't so bad, and hey! You get your own little room here, princess." You look for a way to escape, but he's blocking the doorway. "When you've calmed down, you can go anywhere you want as long as it's within the town." He looks away. "... except the far east room."

"And why's that?"

"Don't worry about it."

"What are you keeping there?"

"It's none of your business."

"Is that where-"

"It's forbidden!" he roars, slamming the door closed.

You immediately run for the door and try the knob, but it is, of course, locked. You look and see a window, but it's a long drop down and you don't see anything climbable nearby. You sigh and look around. You're in a small bedroom. It's neat and sparsely decorated, though it is dusty. It seems as if Team Skull left this room relatively untouched. You sit on the bed, and the sheets feel soft, thick, and expensive. What little there is in the room all looks like the furniture and decor of a wealthy family. Well, it is a mansion.

You rest your elbows on your knees and place your face in your hands, emotions swirling. You're angry, curious, excited, and scared all at once. This hardly feels real, but you're strangely giddy that it is. You had wanted a change of pace for some time now. Be careful what you wish for. You shiver. Your clothes are still soaked from the rain outside. Well, you don't plan on staying here long anyway. You're sure you can think of a way out.

He sure is touchy about that far east room. What's he keeping there? The Yungoos? His mistake in telling you. Now you're determined to get there.

* * *

Guzma paces in his throne room. Two of the Lycanrocs sit, watching him. What a full night. What a full damn night. First those kids and now, this woman. This is the most excitement Team Skull has seen in a very long time. He pauses to glance out the window. Won't be long now till the sun is up.

He really does hope she grows to at least be ok with this place. He really could use someone to talk to at night. It gets awful lonely when everyone else looses the ability to talk back to you. But she's also so feisty. Could she really come to accept this place? Could he really keep her here? Well, she did trespass. He does his best to mentally shove his guilt aside. The sun was rising now, and these would be questions he'd ask himself later.

The first golden rays of day creep their way in, and it happens: the transformation. He closes his eyes and heaves a huge sigh as fur disappears, claws vanish, and his features grow smaller. In a matter of moments, he's no longer a half beast, but a full human again. A naked one. He moves toward a dresser, getting out clothing.

Where there had previously been two Lycanrocs, there now are Plumeria, and a male grunt named Liam. They're moving now for clothing they've stashed in his room. Out of all of Team Skull, they were his closest and most trusted friends.

"So," says Plumeria, pulling up sweatpants. "That was a night. We've got a woman held captive now."

"Sure do, eyy boss!" Liam says, nudging Guzma with an elbow. "Time to break the spell and shit, huh?"

Plumeria glares at him. "It's not that simple. These things don't happen that fast."

"But we ain't got much time. Comfey's dyin'.

"I'm well aware, but love doesn't happen just because you want it to."

"Who wouldn't love Guzma!" Liam throws his arms wide. "He's got... a gang, and uh, he... owns property?"

"Yeah, yeah alright, that's enough." Guzma interrupts. "I'm not - there's not - I don't think that's gonna happen, ok?"

They both look at him questioningly. "I wasn't saying don't try," says Plumeria.

Guzma sighs. "You saw the girl, Plumes. She's beautiful. And I'm, you know."

"But boss, you're at least, like, uh, two times better looking during the day!" It's Liam's best at encouragement.

Guzma groans and runs a hand down the side of his face.

"Let's just take this one step at a time, Plumeria says. "We've got her here, she's cute enough; we can at least give this a go."

Liam grins. "We'll be your wingmen!"

"I dunno, Plumes. We haven't had anyone outside Team Skull here in a long time. Where do we even start with this?"

"Well, did you at least make her feel welcome? Give her dry clothes?"

Guzma shrugs, and puts a hand behind his head, nervously rubbing at his neck. "Uh, gave her a room."

Plumeria rolls her eyes. "I'll find some clothes. You offer them to her, and invite her to eat breakfast with you."

* * *

Guzma stands in front of the locked door, hesitating. How to do this? Their interaction had been a little less than charming before. How does he talk to her in a way that will win her over? Was that even possible? This is so beyond anything that he's prepared for. He remembers now that this is the first time she'll see him in human form. He makes a halfhearted attempt at self-consciously fixing his hair, but gives up with a frustrated sigh. Screw it.

He clears his throat and knocks on the door. He undoes the lock while saying, "Hey, I, uh, brought you some dry clothes."

"So leave them and go," she says from within the room.

He glances at Plumes and Liam who are listening at the end of the hallway. Plumeria makes an eating motion with her hands. Liam is scratching at his ear, looking very much like a dog.

Guzma looks back at the door. "Are you hungry? We could get something to eat."

"Not interested."

"Hey, come on. I know we didn't exactly have the best start but... you should eat something."

"Not hungry."

"Well, you can't stay in there forever!"

"Not coming out there with you!"

"Hey I own this place! I'm always gonna be around, so you might as well come out sometime!"

"What's in the far east room?"

"What?! I - don't ask about that!"

"Why not?"

"Because! Would you just come out here!"

"Nope!"

"Fine!" Guzma throws the clothes on the ground. "Then go ahead and starve!" He storms off past Plumeria and Liam and back towards his room.

Plumeria sighs. "Go after the boss," she tells Liam. "I'm gonna do damage control."

* * *

When the footsteps fade away, you open the door. There's a set of clothes on the floor. As you bend down to get them, a pair of sneakers appear. You look up to see a girl with pink and yellow hair standing there. She gives you a smile. "Hi," she says. "I'm Plumeria. Are you doing alright?"

You watch her apprehensively. "I mean, considering I'm being kept here, no."

"Yeah, that's... hmm." She glances off, clearly doing her best to choose her words carefully. Then she looks at you pleadingly. "Can I come in? Can we talk?"

You hesitate. Can you trust her? Honestly, after the night you've had you could really use a friendly face. Besides, you've got questions and this might be your best bet at getting answers that aren't coming from Guzma. You step aside and let her in.


	5. Be Our Guest

"Um," you say, holding the bundle of dry clothes in your hands. You're rather anxious to get out of the uncomfortable wet ones you've been wearing all night.

Plumeria turns around and covers her eyes. "Go ahead."

You place the clothing on the bed, rolling your eyes when you see what you've been given: A Team Skull tank top and sweat pants. Guess you should have expected that. You peel your wet clothes off and put your new ones on. "So I guess this is all... you know, real?" you ask Plumeria. You're still working on fully coming to terms with this.

"Unfortunately."

"And the rules of the curse are?'

"Grunts become Lycanrocs at night. Guzma becomes a monster. We turn back during the day. We can't leave the outskirts of the town."

"Or what?"

"Or injury and eventually death."

"You know this for sure?"

There's a pause. "Some have tried."

You feel a pang of sympathy that you try to brush away. You wonder how many grunts have become desperate, tried to leave, and died over the years. You finish dressing and tell Plumeria she can turn around. You sit on the bed and she walks toward you.

"Look," she says. "I know this is all weird-"

"An understatement to be sure."

"Yeah, well," she looks at you with sincerity. "It's not all bad. We're not all bad. The boss is - he can be rough - but once you get to know him-"

"Don't want to get to know him. Unless you've forgotten, he's holding me prisoner here."

"Well, I can't blame you there, girlie." She looks a bit defeated. Then she smiles at you. "But you know, I think all my brothers and sisters will see you as something more than a prisoner. If you don't get to know Guzma, you should at least come meet them!"

You don't say anything. Right now you're not too keen on Guzma with his attitude and anger, but the grunts? What were they like as humans and not Lycanrocs? Your stomach rumbles in the silence.

"Come on," she says, motioning with her head toward the door. "Let me show you the one good thing about this curse."

You pause a moment. Were you ready to leave the relative safety of this room? Your curiosity is insatiable. You rise from the bed and follow Plumeria out the door.

"When do you all sleep?" you ask out in the hallway.

"We don't... really need much sleep. We tend to just sorta nap during the day." She gestures to a grunt passed out on the ground. He's curled up in a ball and one of his legs is kicking in his sleep while he dreams. "Guess that's one of the very few benefits. If you wanna call it that."

"That's your good thing about being cursed?"

"Nope," Plumeria says, smiling at you. "That, would be in the kitchen."

She leads you downstairs and through the mansion to a large set of double doors. She pushes them open and you find you're in a dining hall. One that's packed with Team Skull grunts. They're all back to human now, and dressed in matching uniforms. But despite no longer being beasts, they are still loud and rowdy. They're eating, and laughing, and carrying on. It looks more like an unruly middle school cafeteria than the prestigious dining hall of a mansion.

As the doors close behind you, the pack of grunts goes quiet and dozens of pairs of eyes fall on you and Plumeria.

"Hey! It's the girl!" a male grunt yells, breaking the silence.

"The who?" asks another.

"She's our prisoner!" one answers.

"No!" says Plumeria, smiling at you. "She's our guest." She beckons for you to follow her through the hall to the kitchen. Not a single eye leaves you as you make your way there.

The kitchen is the largest you've ever seen. Appliances of all kinds are all around, and you wonder if there were once cooks and servants attending to it all. You follow Plumeria to an open, empty pantry. "Watch this!" she says, eyes twinkling.

She closes the cupboard door and then reopens it. There, on a shelf, to your utter disbelief, is a plate of donuts sitting where there was nothing just a second before.

"What?!" you can't stop yourself from yelling.

She picks up the plate and offers it to you. "Pretty awesome, right?"

You pick up a donut and move closer to the pantry, peering inside and running a hand over the shelf. "This some kinda trick?"

Plumeria laughs. "You can believe we all turn into pokemon at night, but you can't believe this? We can't leave the town, remember? Guess the Tapus had to make sure we ate somehow. Same thing happens with the fridge."

You take a bite of the donut. "Ok, so that might be worth being cursed I suppose."

You both take advantage of the enchanted fridge and cupboard, grabbing more food, and then go back to the dining hall. You sit with Plumeria at an empty table, and suddenly every other seat fills up around you. Two grunts shove each other, trying to both take the last seat. As they're distracted with their tussle, a third comes and takes the chair. Other grunts are standing by the table, some even sitting on the ground, and all are staring at you.

You swallow nervously, feeling self-conscious under all the attention.

Plumeria sighs. "Y'all can't let the girl settle in first?"

"It's just been so long," says a female grunt. "So long since there's been someone from outside here."

"Yeah, what's Malie City like now?" asks one.

Another excitedly raises his hand, like he's waiting to be called on, even as a question blurts from him anyway. "Do they still have the island challenge?"

Plumeria gives you a sympathetic smile. "Being confined makes people curious, you know?"

You spend your breakfast answering questions and getting to know the grunts. You can't remember the last time anyone was this interested in hearing you speak, let alone a room full of miscreants. Speaking with them seems to cure some loneliness you weren't even aware you had developed. Stuck in your routine of merely work and pretending to enjoy Garret's selfish stories, the most enjoyment you had before this were your times with Alana. You feel a pang of guilt as you think of your younger sister. This was the most fun you've had in a while, but the sooner you got back to her, the better. When you got the chance, you'd find this far east room.

* * *

The top floor of the mansion is just tall enough to let you see past the gate surrounding the town. Guzma often stares out the window of his room, like he's doing now, at the land beyond the community and into the distance. How long had it been since he'd been there himself? Too long. And now, in all likelihood, he'd never walk on any ground past Po Town ever again.

Enchanted though the Comfey the Tapus left may be, that didn't stop it aging. He and Team Skull might not have grown older thanks to the curse, but she had. There wasn't much life left in the pokemon. When she dies, all of this becomes permanent. No more shots at redemption. Maybe he didn't deserve any anyway. He feels even worse for all of the grunts. More than anything, he wishes there were something he could do for them. Guilt drags its nails down his insides. He can't help but feel responsible for them being trapped here too.

And this girl? Well, it was probably foolish to even consider her an option. Maybe he should just let her go. Was there a point in keeping her trapped here as well? At least someone could be freed.

Guzma turns when the door opens behind him.

"You ok, boss?" asks Liam.

Guzma shoves his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. So, uh, you gonna give this another go?"

"There's no point, Liam. We can't just force something to happen."

"I ain't saying force." Liam scratches at his ear again. "I'm just saying try."

Guzma shakes his head in annoyance. "This was a bad idea from the start. Take someone prisoner and expect them to genuinely fall in love? In what world would that ever work?"

Liam shrugs. "Ain't like we've got many options."

"I don't know that it would work even if she wasn't mad as hell. I don't know her. Who says that I'd fall in love with her?"

"Trapped gang leaders can't be choosers?"

Guzma sighs. "I'll probably just let her go. Maybe. I don't know."

"You're just gonna give up?"

Guzma considers Liam for a moment. He thinks of all the grunts in his charge. He thinks of the ones who grew despondent; the ones who became so bored with this existence that they just had to try crossing the border. The ones who have died. If this becomes permanent, how many more will follow their path when there's no longer hope? "I'm just... really bad at this. Sometimes I just say shit. I don't even know how to talk to anyone outside Team Skull."

"Wish I could help you there, boss. You just gotta control your temper."

Guzma puts a hand behind his head. "Never been good at that either." He thinks a moment. "I'll just leave her alone for a bit. Let her cool off, you know? Probably best if I avoid her for now."

"Well, let's not ignore the kitchen. I'm starving."

* * *

You've grown more comfortable with the grunts of Team Skull now. You're laughing with them and carrying on in the dining hall, feeling a sense of belonging that was so sorely missing for you in Tapu Village. Then the double doors open and there is...

You recognize the glasses sitting atop his head and the chain around his neck. It's Guzma, only a lot less monster and a lot more human now. You stop mid-sentence in your conversation. You're taken aback by how attractive you find him now that he's no longer covered in fur and baring his teeth at you. You're not sure what you expected him to look like as a human, but this wasn't it.

"What's this?" he says playfully, an over-confident smirk plastered on his face. "Merriment? Who said you degenerates could-"

The smile vanishes from his face when his eyes meet yours. He rubs at the back of his neck and he's quiet for a tense moment.

There's a male grunt with him who suddenly shouts, "Eyy boss!"

This starts a chorus of "Eyy boss!" from all over the room, every grunt joining in and repeating the phrase, as Guzma rolls his eyes and enters now that the tension has been broken.

You look at Plumeria questioningly, but she just shrugs her shoulders and smiles.

Guzma approaches your table. "Hungry after all, princess?"

You try to ignore the tiny swirling in your stomach that you feel now that he's close and meeting your gaze. "Losing my appetite now."

He huffs. "Still angry, huh? Cute."

Plumeria gives him a warning look.

"Not gonna be cute if you keep that pokemon from me much longer."

He puts his hands on his hips. "What are you gonna do, huh?"

"Wouldn't you like to find out."

"Thought people were supposed to be less bitchy after they ate," he sneers.

Bitchy? You've had enough. You don't want to put up with him anymore. You're exhausted and don't have the patience for his attitude. You get up from the table, much to the displeasure of the grunts around you and move for the door.

"Wait!" Guzma shouts, looking panicked. "That isn't - that's not what I-"

"You can talk to me again when you're ready to tell me where the Yungoos is."

"Please, hold on! I-"

But you're gone out the double doors.


	6. Get Out

You wander around the mansion for a bit, wondering exactly where and what the far east room is, when you pause to sit on a couch you come across for a moment. You hadn't slept all night, and as the day wears on, you're growing more and more exhausted. You weren't exactly planning on sleeping on the couch, but closing your eyes for just a moment turns into a full-on nap. You awaken momentarily as a couple grunts settle down beside you and also begin to fall asleep. Your eyes open again when a couple more crash on the floor by your feet. You drift off back to sleep, amused at how the years of spending each night as wolfish Lycanrocs seems to have left some canine tendencies in the grunts.

You sleep rather deeply for hours, the soft sound of some of the grunts snoring the only noise in the quiet room. When you finally awaken, you're surprised to find just how many grunts have joined you in napping. They're squished together on the couch, and sleeping in a pile like dogs on the carpet in front of you. It's both peculiar and kinda cute... sorta.

"Hey!" you hear a voice quietly call at you. You follow the sound to see the male grunt who had been with Guzma earlier. "Want me to give you a tour, lady?"

A tour? Maybe this could be your chance to figure out more about that room. You carefully untangle yourself from the grunt who had fallen asleep on you and make your way past the maze of passed out grunts on the floor to join him. He tells you that his name is Liam, and you tell him yours. He leads you around, giving you the strangest tour you've ever been on.

Like the rest of the grunts, he talks with a lot of slang and informality. But you're surprised to find that his explanations also carry with them an obvious education. "You see that?" he says pointing to the molding and ornamentation of an entrance way. "Inspired by the entrance of La Maison Cubiste. Pretty fancy, huh? Those cubists. Sure liked their shapes. And they influenced a lot of Art Deco architecture around the time this place was built."

You look at him in both confusion and wonder.

He shrugs. "I wanted to be an architect."

The tour continues, with Liam giving you architectural facts, and you do your best to keep the both of you heading east. You're beginning to wonder if this little tour will result in any clues for you, when he slips up and says it. "And this is where we gotta stop. Boss don't let anyone down there."

"The far east room?"

"Uh, no. Yes. Maybe. I dunno."

"What's he hiding down there?"

"Boss ain't hidin' nothin'!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure the whole point of a forbidden room is that you're hiding something."

Liam looks panicked. "Um. You know what's cool? An empty pool. And we even got one! We should go look at it. Outside."

You sigh. "Fine, lets go."

He's visibly relieved and begins to lead you away.

As the two of you make your way back, a male grunt approaches Liam. He instantly becomes flustered, tripping over his words and face reddening. Someone has a crush. He's fully distracted, with his attention completely on this newcomer. You quietly take a few steps backward, and then you're off, back toward the far east room.

* * *

You cautiously walk down the hallway, your footsteps echoing in the emptiness. There's something on the floor ahead. A few more steps and you realize it's pieces of a broken mirror. On either side of the hallway two mirrors look as if they have been punched. One's completely shattered with its remnants dusty and forgotten on the floor. The other is intact aside from the shattered lines converging on the point of impact. Your curious, yet worried reflection stares back at you from each shard. The door directly ahead of you is scratched and marked up. What exactly is this room?

Your hand pauses on the door handle. Something about this feels wrong. But, you're here now, could you really just turn around? What if this is where the Yungoos is? For the sake of getting back to your sister with her pokemon, you have to proceed. You slowly turn the battered handle.

There's a lot to take in. Furniture and parts of the room look like they've been torn up in a rage. The fading light of day from the one large, circular window illuminates it all in a forlorn, yellow light. There's what appears to be several family portraits in the room, and all but two have claw marks through them. The two intact ones show what is unmistakably a young Guzma with his parents. In one, he seems to be no older than five. He's all bright smiles and holding a Wimpod. His smile mirrors his mother's in the picture; a large, friendly grin full of mirth and teeth. His father seems less enthused about posing for the portrait. Not unhappy, but simply bored.

The other picture is different. There are no smiles. Guzma's older here; maybe fifteen or so. His expression no longer matches his mother, but instead his father. They both look like as if they're holding in barely contained contempt. His mother's smile is still there, but it's weak. Her features are sunken in, there's dark rings under her eyes, and her hair looks like it's thinning. She looks sick.

Every other picture is too shredded to make out many details, but they seem to have been different family photos from throughout his childhood. In fact, most everything in the room seems to be pieces of his childhood or his parents, including a bag full broken golf clubs. You're fascinated with all the objects, wondering if you could piece together their story if you look around long enough. There's a wheelchair in the corner, and you wonder if it was his mothers when maybe illness had taken her ability to walk. Whatever the story was, it was not a happy one.

You hear a sound then. A bit like a chime, but it's weak. When you hear it again, you turn and find the source. It's a pokemon, but it's not the Yungoos. It's a Comfey, perched on a pillow on a torn up couch. It looks elderly and feeble. So much of the color is gone from it and its even started to lose petals. You're amazed. Here it is: The Comfey from the story. You begin to approach it, your hand reaching out.

And then the door opens behind you.

Guzma stands there in the doorway, his mouth slightly open in surprise. He blinks, and then you watch as his expression twists into anger. He marches over to you. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm sorry-"

"I told you this room was forbidden!"

"I just - I thought that -" Maybe it's because you've intruded on some vulnerability he didn't want you to see, but this time, as he looms over you - like he did when he was a monster - you're afraid.

He's about to respond with more yelling, his eyebrows a deep crease, and his eyes ablaze with fury, causing you to wince and cower away a bit. When he sees this, he pauses. His expression softens into one that looks caught between regret and pain. He looks away from you and goes to the Comfey, checking on it.

His back's to you now, the light dancing across the skull on his jacket. "I-" you begin.

He reaches into his pocket and takes out a pokeball. He turns, and tosses it to you.

You catch it, surprised and look up from it to him.

"That's what you wanted, right?" He sounds more disappointed than angry now.

You're too shocked to say anything. You just stand there with the pokeball in your hands.

"Just go."

"What?"

"Just... get out. I'll tell them to let you out the gate."

You stay there a moment, watching him. He won't look at you. You consider saying something more, but you don't want to push your luck. You got what you came for, even if you now have mixed feelings about it. You put Yungoos's pokeball in your pocket, and leave without saying a word.

You run through the mansion, down the stairs, passing several questioning grunts, and a distraught looking Liam. You feel a small wave of guilt for using him to find the room and ducking out on him.

"Wait!" says a voice as you reach the foyer. It's Plumeria. "Where are you going?"

You stop and face her. "He let me go. I - I went to that room and -"

Plumeria's face falls.

"I'm sorry."

She doesn't say anything, but turns and moves for the stairs.

You face the door, wondering why leaving this mansion feels so strangely difficult. Maybe it's that going back to Tapu Village will feel remarkably tame compared to this. Maybe it's that you already consider Plumeria and some of the grunts friends. Maybe it's knowing that (though you try to ignore it) some bit of hope leaves with you. You've been here a day, but you know you'll miss this place and the magic you found here. You glance around one last time, then you leave, and run down the road, through the ever-present rain, to the gate.

* * *

He watches her leave from the far east room. She's running down the road now, towards the gate. Of course he failed at this too. How could it have turned out any other way?

There's footfall in the hallway and then he hears Plumeria yelling, "Guzma!" from behind the closed door.

He sighs. "Yeah, yeah, you can come in." He oh so rarely let anyone come in this room, but he'd make an exception right now.

She throws the door open. "You let her go?!"

"What else was I gonna do, Plumes? Keep her trapped here like the rest of us?"

"But it'd only been a day! We could've-"

"Do you really honestly think keeping her a prisoner would have worked?"

She looks away, swallowing before she answers. "No, but," she nods her head toward the weak Comfey.

"Yeah," says Guzma, rubbing at his undercut. "Yeah, I know."

"When the last petal falls, that's it. No more transformations. We'll stay Lycanrocs. Night won't end for us anymore. And we'll be trapped here. Still."

"I was there, Plumes. You think I'm looking forward to an eternity of no one to talk to but myself?"

Plumeria relents. "I'm sorry, Guzma."

"Me too." He turns back toward the window to continue to watch their last hope run as far as she can. If he can't cross the border, at least he could watch someone else do it.

But, there's something wrong. She's on her Mudsdale, but the horse has stopped just outside of the boundary. The rain is practically a torrential downpour - even worse than usual - making it hard to decipher what's going on in the distance.

The horse rears up, and she's barely holding on. Then the pokemon is kicking at something behind them. There's more shapes moving, and then he sees what it is. There's a horde of Araquanid attacking her.

Her Mudsdale is going wild, frantically kicking and biting at the bugs. It rears up again, and she falls from it. He starts to feel a panic crawl up him as he waits for her to move, and she doesn't.

He doesn't stop to think, he just runs out the door.

Plumeria is after him. "She's beyond the border! You'll die!"

"Can't just stay here and do nothing!"

She stops following him as he runs through the mansion's front doors and out into the rain. He'd spent so long locking himself away in the mansion that this is the first in a long time he's been on this path. The sun's almost set, and they're going to transform soon. Good, maybe that'd be better for what's about to come next.

* * *

You come to soaking wet and muddy on the ground. The rain is horrendous and you can barely see. There's Araquanid all around, and your Mudsdale is standing over you, doing his best to keep them at bay, but it's growing weary. The bugs are water types and they've got the advantage in this weather.

One of the spiders lunges forward and your Mudsdale sends it flying with a kick. Another comes immediately after and sinks fangs into his flank. The horse bucks wildly and now you're trying to avoid being stomped on. Another Araquanid bites the horse's neck as one goes for you, but it only manages to get the rubber on the bottom of your shoe. You kick your leg until you shake it off. Mudsdale continues trying to dislodge the spiders on his neck and side, splashing mud and rainwater in your face. You wipe at your eyes, coughing and gasping for air. This is bad. You wonder if you're going to die trampled by your own pokemon, while drowning in rain and being bit by bugs.

"Hey!" you hear someone yell. You look around bleary eyed and see Guzma standing at what must be the border not far from you. He's soaked and breathing heavy. He probably saw the attack from his window and ran out here. You're surprised. After everything over the last day he barreled out here to save you.

The spiders turn for a moment and Guzma continues to shout and wave, attempting to get the pokemon to chase him instead, but they don't seem interested. They refocus on you and Mudsdale, a spider going for one of his hooves.

Guzma curses. He inhales, and takes a step beyond the border.

The affects are immediate. Guzma yells as lacerations appear out of nowhere on his arms. Blood begins to drip out of his nose and mouth and mix with the rain falling on him.

"Guzma!" you yell to him.

"Hey, doll," he says wincing, his voice heavy with pain. "Just can't stay on that damn horse, huh?"

"Go back! You're going to-"

The sun finally sets and Guzma falls to his knees as the transformation starts. His face elongates, fur sprouts up, and his hands and feet erupt with claws. Clothes split off of him as they become too small to contain his monstrous form. When it's done, blood is still coming from his snout. His lips rise, baring his teeth as he snarls at the spiders. Then he launches himself at them.

With something so large and vicious coming at them, the Araquanid forget about you and Mudsdale, and go for Guzma. They spring at him and he knocks them aside one after another in a flurry of claws, growls, and teeth. He stops when he's hit with a wave of pain from the curse, crying out with a dog-like whimper. A spider takes the opportunity to clamp down on his leg, and he brings his jaws down around it.

You watch the fight continue from underneath your Mudsdale, who's still standing protectively over you. Tears leave your eyes and wander down your mud-stained face as you watch Guzma's struggle with the bugs and the curse.

He claws at one of them, tearing open the bubble enveloping its head. Another bites into his haunch, and he turns, tearing it away. Again the curse hits him, making him stumble and a fresh stream of blood comes from his snout. He snaps at an Araquanid coming for his neck and the bug bursts in his mouth.

The bodies of the spiders are starting to pile up around him. They seem to realize they can't defeat the angry beast, even as the curse continues to wound him, and they retreat, skittering away from you, Guzma, and your Mudsdale.

Guzma collapses. You scramble out from under your pokemon and run to him, your knees dropping in the mud beside him.

"You alright, princess?" he pants out in his deep, growling voice.

"You shouldn't have come out here! Look what's happening to you!"

He laughs a bit, wincing. "I might - I might be an asshole, but I - I couldn't just stay up there and watch you get killed." He grimaces as the curse does its job yet again.

You gently lay a hand on his shoulder and his eyes meet yours. "Can you stand? We have to get you back before it's too late!"

Guzma sits up and shakily rises to his hind two paws. You call Mudsdale over and try to help him lay across the horse's back. You rush them both back within the border and back to Po Town as the rain continues its unrelenting downpour.


	7. New and a bit Alarming

You reach the mansion escorted by Lycanrocs bounding along beside you. They seem to be anxious over their fallen leader. Guzma's breathing heavy, blood still dripping from his snout as he lies across your Mudsdale's back. At the door, he clumsily tries to remove himself from the horse, collapsing again on the ground. You recall your pokemon, and try to help him to his feet. It's difficult, and you realize you're not much help, but the two of you manage to make it inside, where you lay him on the couch you'd napped on earlier.

There's Lycanrocs all around you, but only one approaches Guzma, peering over him and taking in all of his injuries. This one must be Plumeria.

You watch a moment. Another Lycanroc appears beside her. Liam? They're fretting over him the best they can, but how much could they do in this form? Your mind is whirling. You could just leave. At the very least, you'd gotten him back inside. He had let you go after all, right? And you've been gone a full day, so surely Garret and Alana are worried. You had her Yungoos, so you had what you'd come to Po Town for. The logical thing would be to leave, wouldn't it be?

And yet... If you were hesitant to walk out the door before, it's nothing compared to how you feel now. You think about how even after you'd clearly intruded on something private and he had been upset with you, he'd charged out to save you anyway. You think about how he'd crossed the border, knowing what would happen. You think about the dining hall and how warmly the grunts had greeted him; how they all seemed to care about him, especially Plumeria and Liam, who are in front of you now, distressed. If they can be this concerned, then maybe there's more to Guzma than you'd originally seen. Maybe, especially after saving you, he deserved to be saved too.

It's risky - unreasonable even - but it feels right. You want to stay. You'd allow yourself to be submerged in all this place is, at least until Guzma's better. It's the least you could do, and you admit that it'd maybe satiate some of your persistent curiosity. "I'll stay with him," you say to the two Lycanrocs.

They both turn to you. Plumeria approaches you, looking into your face questioningly.

"Just show me where first aid stuff is, ok? I'll do what I can."

She comes closer and nuzzles into you; the only thanks she can give right now, and leads you off into the mansion for the supplies you'll need.

* * *

Guzma passes in and out of consciousness. You'd done your best to dry off both of you with towels you'd brought back, but with all the mud and grime it's difficult. You know the couch he's on is probably ruined. When he hazily comes to, he looks at you and smiles toothily. "You're a mess, princess."

You shake your head at him, wondering why he insists on calling you that. "Yeah, well, you should see what you look like."

He laughs a bit, wincing with the pain it causes. "Hey, I'm a mess every night."

You take a warm, wet washcloth to the large cut on one of his arms, and he yelps, recoiling away from you. "Shit, that hurts, you know?!"

"Would you rather it get infected?"

He stares at you a moment with his glowing eyes, then reluctantly offers his arm back to you, and quietly lets you work. You clean the large cuts and bandage them, though you suspect they may have to be redone when he changes back.

The blood has stopped dripping out of his mouth and nose, but there's still a good amount of it left behind. You begin to wipe it from his face and he says quietly, "You don't have to do this."

You stop, and wait for him to continue.

"You can go if you want. You don't have to stay here."

You resume cleaning the blood from him. "I know. I'm choosing to stay. For a little while anyway."

"But... why?"

You decide to go for levity. "The enchanted cupboard and fridge were hard to pass up."

He huffs, grinning at you. "Well, you can stay and take whatever you want from the kitchen as long as you like."

You smile back. "Good, because really, there's no other reason to stay."

"You're just as charming as I am, huh?" he laughs.

"Yeah, but twice as scary when I'm mad."

"I'll keep that in mind." His smile dims, and he goes back to looking serious. "I'm sorry. Maybe that doesn't mean much and I'm not - I'm not good at this, but I'm sorry for everything. The Yungoos, and trying to keep you here... all of it."

You're surprised for a moment. You weren't exactly expecting him to apologize, figuring he was too proud. "Thank you," you tell him. Maybe he deserved an apology too. "I'm sorry too, for going in that room. I didn't mean to intrude like that."

"It's alright."

"And," you continue. "Thank you, for saving me out there."

He smiles again. "Eh, Big Bad Guzma wasn't gonna let you go out like that."

You give him an amused look. "Big Bad Guzma? Like the Big Bad Wolf?"

"Hadn't made that connection before," he laughs. "Fine. Your boy Guzma."

"I mean, it's more like, 'my Lycanroc Guzma' right now, but sure. Any other catch phrases?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, doll."

You roll your eyes playfully as you finish patching him up.

* * *

It's a rough night, as Guzma alternates between painful wakefulness and uneasy sleep. You drift off occasionally too, at one point waking up to find you'd been sleeping with your head resting on his shoulder as you knelt next to him on the floor. The night's long, but eventually morning comes. Plumeria reappears just before dawn, and uses her mouth and paws to make sure there's a towel covering Guzma before running off. When light creeps into the mansion, you find out why, as human Guzma is suddenly naked on the couch.

Ignoring the palpable awkwardness of the situation, you move to fix the bandages, since they're now too loose to be useful.

He yells, once again shrinking away from your touch. "Ah, shit. Jeez, good morning to you too."

"Oh quit moving, you big baby," you say, taking his arm again. Neither one of you seems willing to look at each other or bring up the fact that he's completely undressed except for the towel, and the combo of gold chain and sun glasses - the only things that seem to stay between transformations. "Your glasses are dirty," you note.

He removes them from their perch in his white hair and begins using the towel to clean them.

You quickly look away from the skin this further exposes, face reddening slightly. It's not like you can see anything that private, but you feel embarrassed anyway for some reason. "Why - why do you wear those anyway?" you ask.

"Hey, just because I can't leave Po Town doesn't mean I can't keep up my look," he says putting them back atop his head.

"And is being naked part of 'the look?'" If he wasn't going to bring it up, you would.

He grins at you, putting his hands behind his head. "Nah that's just an unexpected benefit."

"Don't you mean disadvantage?" you say, giving him a dubious look.

He moves a hand over his heart in mock pain. "I'm already wounded, you don't have to wound my ego too."

Despite yourself, you smile. "And here I was sure that was invincible."

"It's maybe more fragile then I let on," he says, grinning back at you.

The moment is interrupted by Plumeria and Liam coming toward you, now also transformed back.

"Eyy boss!" Liam calls to Guzma. "How're you doin?"

"Well, I'm not dead," he answers.

Plumeria smiles at you. "Guess we have you to blame for that." She gives you a sincere look, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Thank you."

"I was just... returning the favor," you say a bit sheepishly.

"Well, you didn't have to come back, but we're glad you're here. How's about getting you two cleaned up?"

You look down at all the mud you hadn't managed to get off. Your clothes are once again cold, wet, and sticking to you. A shower sounds absolutely perfect right now. Plumeria leads you off in search of clean clothes and a hot shower, while Liam carefully helps Guzma up the stairs, a towel wrapped around his waist.

It's funny, you think. Now that you're staying here of your own free will, the mansion and all you've left to discover in it seem somehow even more enticing than before. You'd return back to Tapu Village soon, but for now you're thinking of every excuse you can to extend your stay.


	8. True, that he's no Prince Charming

You take, what is perhaps, the best shower of your life, even if it is somewhat filled with guilty thoughts of how worried Alana and Garret probably are. You try to assuage them by telling yourself you'll only stay as long as you need to. But, that's already a lie, isn't it? You could go now, couldn't you? But you wanted to make sure Guzma recovered alright. Yes, you tell yourself, you've got to do that, and so you must stay longer. Garret's a grown man and Alana wasn't a small child anymore; she's a teenager even! They'd be fine and what you're doing is fine. Right?

Well, at least the shower is right. You emerge feeling like a new woman, fresh clothes and all. You head downstairs to the kitchen, guilt assaulting you again as you admit to yourself that you already almost feel at home here. But that inner voice harassing you for being a terrible sister and (maybe, sorta) girlfriend is quieted when you open the double doors of the dining hall. You're greeted warmly by every member of Team Skull in there, all thankful for how you'd brought their boss back, saving him from being killed outside the border. You're a little perturbed at everyone's gratefulness over an act that you didn't even think twice about. If there had been other visitors in the past, what were they like if kindness from you is so praised?

You sit with Plumeria, who's reputation of being Team Skull's big sister you're beginning to understand more and more. And you certainly seem to have made it onto her good side. "Hey, girlie," she greets you. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." You had sustained a few bruises and cuts from the activities of the night before, but you know that's nothing compared to what happened to their boss. You swallow before asking, letting the pause hang in the air, not wanting to sound too eager. "How's Guzma?"

"Well, he'll definitely be down for a while, but it's better than being dead, right? He's made it through the night, so he's out of danger I suppose. Luckily we seem to recover kinda quickly under this curse. But that was probably the longest he's ever been beyond the border so he was hurt pretty bad."

"Recover quickly?"

"Sorta, yeah. Faster than humans anyway. Doesn't mean it won't take some time, just won't take as long as it'd take someone not cursed. Going beyond that boundary? Leaves injuries both inside and out. Last time I saw someone hurt that bad, took about two weeks to fully recover. A human would probably die."

You chew slowly, taking this in. The curse does indeed seem to have a few benefits, even if its drawbacks are pretty severe. You find yourself wondering how many would come keep Guzma company while he recovers... and if he'd be ok with your company. You quietly curse your own uncontrollable curiosity. There's a lot within Po Town that you'd love to know more about, and despite previous misgivings, you find that you'd also like to better know the man at the center of the stories you've heard. "Um," you begin, wishing you could find a way to not make this sound weird and a little out of nowhere. "Could I - could I see him?"

Plumeria stops chewing and looks at you. "You... want to see Guzma?"

You feel a slight blush rise in your cheeks. "I mean, well, he did save me and all."

She starts chewing again, smiling. "I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised."

* * *

"Hey, she doesn't seem to hate me, right? So, that's a start," he says, finally clean, clothed, and resting in his room. He feels like hell, but he keeps remembering the gentle way she'd taken care of his wounds and he finds that it brings him some solace.

"Sure is, boss!" Liam tells him. Since Guzma's throne is currently vacated, Liam is sprawled on it. "Knew you had it in you!"

"Well uh, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here." Guzma rubs at his undercut, feeling unsure. "Doesn't mean it'll go anywhere."

Liam shrugs. "Anywhere's always gotta start with somewhere."

"Yeah, it's so easy, huh? If that's right then how are things going with Ethan?"

Liam falls off the throne.

"That's about what I thought. You've been trapped here for how many years with him, and you think I'm gonna make progress with this girl in a couple days?"

"That ain't the same!" he says getting off the floor.

"Yeah, it sure ain't. 'Fall in love with this random girl, and get her to love you before your enchanted pokemon dies.' No pressure, right?"

"Feelings are weird, boss. Maybe you're overthinking it."

"Maybe you are too."

Liam sits back on the throne. "We ain't talkin about me."

"Well it beats talking about me," he looks at Liam more seriously now. "You ever gonna move past what happened?"

Liam looks away uncomfortably. "Dunno."

"That why you're hanging out here?"

"Hey, you're my pal, boss! Not gonna leave ya on your own. I know what that's like. Even if this whole thing turned out a little differently for you."

"Yeah, well, her coming back don't mean it's gonna turn out all that different," Guzma sighs. "Let's just forget about something like that happening, alright? It seems pretty unlikely and I don't wanna get anyone's hopes up."

"Ok, but just so you know, Plumes says she wants to come see you."

"You're shittin me."

* * *

You're starting to feel a little guilty over this too. You know what they're all hoping and you don't want to get those hopes up. That's not what this is. You just want to talk to him some more; get to know him. Make a new, interesting friend who just happens to lead a cursed gang, and is maybe kind of attractive, but also kind of an ass. No, this is nothing more than getting as close to this supernatural occurrence as you can. Because when else would you get the chance? It's one of your novels come to life and it's something that would never happen in Tapu Village. That's all this is. You're just chasing the magic you've lost.

Plumeria's leading you up to his room now, and she seems barely able to contain how pleased she is. She opens the door and reveals a bedroom with a large bed that Guzma's resting on. Behind him is a shelving unit with far too many empty bottles, making you wonder how often he drinks. But the most noticeable thing in the room is what appears to be a makeshift throne that Liam is currently lounging on.

"Are you serious?" you can't help but ask.

Guzma crosses his arms. "Hey, if you're gonna be boss, you might as well go all the way."

"Aesthetics," says Liam from his perch. "Shit's important."

Plumeria drags a chair into the room and sets it by Guzma's bed. "What's important right now is that you get out," she tells Liam.

"Oh, wait! You don't have to -" you start, but then both Plumeria and Liam are gone out the door and you're left standing in the room alone with Guzma.

You swallow, and then sit down in the chair, feeling uneasy. "I never meant that they had to leave."

"Yeah, well... you know."

You look at him confused. "Know what?"

"What they are, uh, trying to do." His nervous habit of rubbing the back of his neck strikes again.

"Oh." You feel a slight panic rising in you. You hadn't really expected this subject to come up. Then again, you also weren't expecting to be left alone with him. You cast your eyes anywhere but Guzma. Could this be any more awkward? "About that..."

"Don't - don't worry about it ok. Just forget about all of that. Seriously."

"Alright," you say slowly. If he's ok with breezing past the idea of the two of you getting together in any way, you were too. "So, how are you?"

"Eh, I've been worse," he says waving it off.

"Really?"

"Well, no. But I've seen worse."

"Yeah, Plumeria sorta mentioned it took someone else a couple weeks to recover after something similar."

"She's talking about Liam. Now that, was the worst I've seen."

"Liam?"

"That colony of Araquanid have been around almost as long as the curse. Liam had his own rescue mission go wrong with them and the border a while back."

"Rescue mission for who?"

"What, you think you're the first outsider to come here? Nah there's been a few over the years."

Right, other visitors. Well, you suppose the rumors of Po Town had to come from somewhere. And what exactly happened with Liam? You look at him expectantly.

"What - what you wanna hear about Liam? I'm not sure that I should - it's not really my -" he sighs. "Long story short: there was a guy who wandered into here. Him and Liam had a thing going, guy left, got attacked, Liam saved him, and he left Liam beyond the border to die. Me and Plumes dragged him back and we didn't think he'd make it."

You're a bit stunned for a moment. So that was why they acted like the fact that you came back and brought Guzma with you was so remarkable. It was a story that was almost played out twice. "And Liam's ok now?"

"I mean, he recovered. But uh, something like that kinda leaves marks you can't see, you know?"

You nod, and a thought occurs to you. "But if there's been other visitors, how come none of them broke the curse?"

"Things don't always work out how ya want them to, princess. I ain't exactly Prince Charming. It's not like we've had a ton of visitors, anyway. You're the first in a long time."

"Well, why not someone already in here? Plumeria?"

Guzma laughs. "Now that would have been too easy, huh? Nah, had to be someone outside of all the misdoings we've done. And Plumes? She's more like a sister."

You go quiet, partly wishing you hadn't brought up the curse again and it's implications.

He seems to notice your feelings of awkwardness reemerging. "But enough about that, right? You wanna entertain your boy for a while? Tell me about where you come from?"

So you tell him about Tapu Village, conveniently skipping over Garret, and doing your best not to feel guilty about the sister you're missing.

* * *

Guzma doesn't leave his room much for a few days, not even at night after the transformation. He rests, letting everything heal. Plumeria checks on him often, and Liam hardly leaves his side, but there's something that seems to happen to all the grunts at night after becoming Lycanrocs; some call of the wild that makes running around the town and outskirts irresistible. This leaves the task of checking on Guzma up to you.

He's often sleeping, as whatever accelerated healing they've been granted seems to require that, but when you find that he's awake, he seems... grateful for someone to talk to, so you stick around a while for conversation. You haven't talked about anything too serious since Liam and the curse were brought up, but instead your talks have been more basic. It's mostly been about likes and dislikes - they're the kind of conversations you have with someone you don't quite know well enough yet. But they're entertaining enough and, you admit to yourself, you greatly enjoy gently teasing him every chance you get. You're realizing that he enjoys it too.

The third night you stay longer than intended, and at some point become comfortable enough talking to him (even as he's in Lycanroc form) that you move to sitting at the end of his bed. You become drowsy as the night wears on, and eventually you fall asleep sprawled out near his feet. He passes out too, even through the transformation. You both stay asleep until the sound of the door opening wakes you.

"Guzma, you awake? I-" Plumeria halts when she comes upon the two of you sleepily looking at her. It's nothing even remotely suggestive as he's under the covers, and you aren't, and you're not even laying next to him, but your face reddens as if you'd been caught doing something anyway.

Plumeria's reaction doesn't help. Her face splits into a grin, and she closes the door, leaving you there.

You groan and quickly remove yourself from the bed.

But that morning leaves him well enough to come downstairs, so you decide to go down to the kitchen together. You wait in the hallway for him to get dressed, and then make your way to those double doors.

As is to be expected, the sight of the two of you entering the dining hall together causes quite a commotion. There's cheers and hooting and hollering from the grunts who've gathered to eat breakfast. Guzma looks just as mortified as you feel and he does his best to try and get the entirety of Team Skull to calm down, telling them that it's not what it looks like. But in the next moment they're practically mobbing him, asking him how he is and if he's going to be alright. You're impressed, once again, to realize how much they seem to care for their leader.

Eventually you make your way past the always overeager team, and into the kitchen, where you're faced with the enchanted pantry again.

"How exactly does this work anyway?"

Guzma shrugs. "Near as we can tell, it just seems to pick up on whatever food or drink you're thinking of." He closes the door of the cupboard. "Thinkin of something?"

You nod, and when he opens the door again, there are two steaming cups of Tapu Coco. One with a pile of whipped cream on the top and one without.

He looks at you, laughing. "Guess we both had the same idea."

"Tapu Coco is probably my favorite drink," you say, taking the cup with whipped cream.

"Hey, mine too!" He takes his cup and gestures to yours. "You can keep all that nasty whipped cream though."

"But this is what makes it!"

"It's what ruins it!"

"Who knew your poor tastes went beyond just your clothing choices," you tease him.

"Ouch, you always gotta go right for the jugular, huh?" he says, holding the door open to the dining hall for you. "You'd make a pretty good Lycanroc."

"Hey I'll keep my whipped cream, you keep your curse, Big Bad Wolf."

You find a table, and he sits a little too close to you, one of his knees grazing yours occasionally as you sit sipping your drinks. You're quiet, aware that many of the grunts are casting glances your way, or excitedly whispering at their tables. You look over at Guzma to catch him staring at you over the top of his Tapu Coco. He smiles, and you smile back, bringing your own cup to your lips. There's another brush of knees and you find that you don't mind the closeness at all.


	9. There May be Something There that Wasn't

As the days go on, Guzma continues to recover. He starts to leave his room more since that morning, though he moves slower and more carefully than he normally would. He's impatient with the process of healing, and doesn't rest as much as he probably should, especially when, more often than not, his trips around the mansion are an excuse to find her.

Things had taken an unexpected (and for once, good) turn. When he had collapsed beyond the border, he thought for sure she would leave him there. He's not sure that he could have blamed her if she did. But, not only had she brought him back, she had, by some miracle, stayed. He's in disbelief that she's still here. What's more is that she actually seems interested in being around him. From what he can tell, she likes their conversations as much as he does. As he gets nearer to full recovery, he's pretty sure she's making up as many excuses to seek him out as he is to seek her out, even at night when he's transformed. It makes a world of difference to have someone else to talk to at night; to not feel so alone. For the first time in a very long time, things seem to be coming up Guzma.

He's still doing his best to suppress any hopes he has of her being the one to break the curse. It's a weight he doesn't want to put on her and a hope he doesn't want to elevate in case it comes crashing down. Besides, can someone fall in love with that kind of pressure? How genuine can it be when you know there's a specific reason that emotion is being cultivated? So he does his best to avoid thinking about it, though it's hard when he sees how weak Comfey gets each day.

It's easier to avoid thoughts of the curse when he's with her. When he's alone, there's no escaping the creeping reminders of the impending day Comfey will pass. Even when hanging around Plumeria, Liam, or any of the grunts, it's hard not to look at them and feel guilt for the situation his actions have put them in. And it's especially impossible to silence the doubts he feels in regards to her. Even without the curse, would she ever consider being with someone like him? He can't imagine she would.

But when they're together, they never seem to run out of things to chat about. He likes that she has a tendency to put him in his place with her gentle teasing that some part of him likes to believe is actually flirting. More than anything, he likes when she laughs, because every time she does, it sends some sort of tingling through his chest that always forces him to smile. When she's around, and when she seems to enjoy being around him, all those swirling thoughts and insecurities are silenced, at least for a little while. Even if this doesn't result in the curse being broken, he's happy that she happened upon Po Town.

He knows at least part of the reason why she's stayed. She'd told him a few times now of her love for novels. She's a bookworm, and this town and its curse are every bit as unbelievable and exciting as any of the stories she's read. Guzma's a bit surprised to hear that from her. After years and years of living with the curse, he'd forgotten how strange it must be to those outside.

He'd hesitated for a couple days, but he decides to take her to a room no one has used for a while. A room holding something that he knows she'll like. But it had also been a room he had avoided because of certain memories, but if it meant doing something nice for her, well, he'd take her there anyway.

He'd found her in the dining hall, quietly sipping on yet another cup of Tapu Cocoa - she liked the stuff possibly even more than he did. He sat down next to her, and she smirked at him, pushing her cup towards him and saying "Want some?" knowing he'd reject it due to the whipped cream.

He pushes it back. "Sorry, I only drink good things."

"Oh come on," she says, nudging it back towards him again. "How long has it been since you've had whipped cream? You never know! Your tastes might have changed."

He sighs. "If I do this, you gotta come with me. I wanna show you something."

"I'd go anyway, but sure," she laughs.

He takes a sip from her cup of cocoa, wrinkling his nose as a glob of whipped cream comes with it.

"It's not that bad," she says, bumping him with an elbow.

"It's alright, but you don't add to perfection." He gets to his feet and pulls her chair out, wincing a little bit at the pain it causes his still recovering ribs. "Now, come on, let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going, Big Bad Wolf."

Guzma smiles at the nickname as they leave the dining hall. He leads her through the mansion, explaining what he can. "Shady House is pretty big, ya know? A lot of it Team Skull will use or occupy, but certain rooms have sorta been forgotten or avoided over the years. This is one of them. Grunts used to go in there a lot, but once you've been through whats in there... well, you'll see."

She looks at him quizzically.

"Just trust me. You'll like it." They're getting closer now. He stops and turns towards her. He wants this to be as much of a surprise as possible. "Close your eyes," he tells her.

She closes them, but then he realizes he'll have to lead her if she can't see where she's going. He hesitates there a moment, scratching at the back of his neck. Then he moves towards her and cautiously takes her hand. To his relief, she smiles at this. He leads her onwards until they're finally at the door.

He opens the door, switches on the light, and gently pulls her inside. "Ok, you can look now," he tells her, watching her face and anxiously awaiting her reaction. He continues to hold her hand, wanting to extend that moment for as long as he can and hoping that she doesn't mind.

Her eyes open and immediately light up in surprise and wonder. Her mouth falls slack a bit as she looks around, taking in the room. Then she looks at him and gives him the warmest smile he thinks he's ever seen. So warm it feels as if something has melted in his chest.

The room is full of shelves and shelves of books lining the walls. Scattered across the center of the room are various pieces of furniture to read on. "It's a reading room," he tells her. "My mom, she liked to read a lot. Especially when she..." he trails off a bit, not sure he's ready to bring up such a subject. "Just - she liked to read. Pretty awesome, right?"

"Are you kidding? It's amazing!" she says, moving further into the room. He finally drops her hand, allowing her to explore. He watches her move about, trying to commit to memory the excited way she's going along the shelves, reading the titles on the book spines, and telling him what she knows of what she finds there. She's so passionate about it, and he finds that seeing her happy is making him pretty happy himself.

He laughs and leans against the wall. "You like it, huh? Well, it's all yours. Everyone else kinda long lost interest in this room."

She stops her exploration and comes back over to him, beaming. She pauses for a moment, bouncing on her toes a bit and looking unsure. When she moves forward and embraces him, he's so shocked he doesn't react at first. Then he gingerly wraps his arms around her back, barely able to believe this current situation.

"Thank you for showing me this," she says.

"Yeah, of course!" they break apart, and his hand is instantly at the back of his head as he looks at her sheepishly. It'd been a long time since anything made him feel as awkward as trying to navigate what exactly it is he feels for her and how to react to it. Especially how to keep it at bay and avoid getting his hopes up about anything.

She goes back to searching through the books, settling on one, and plopping down on one of the couches to start reading. He prepares to walk away and leave her to it when she says, "When's the last time you read anything?"

"I haven't - haven't read much in here I suppose." This was one of the rooms he avoided for the memories it could spark. They weren't exactly bad ones, but they could be mournful.

"Why don't you give it a try? Get out of Po Town for a while? Sort of anyway."

He considers this a moment, then comes back in. Maybe it was time the room brought him happier memories. He glances around the shelves, unsure what to pick up. She joins him, gently setting her book open on the couch and browses with him. Then she pulls a book from the self and hands it to him. "For you, this one."

He looks at the cover. "Call of the Wild?"

"Yeah you should be able to relate," she laughs.

Guzma rolls his eyes.

"Just trust me. You'll like it," she says, repeating his words from earlier and bumping him with her shoulder.

She goes back to the couch, and he joins her. They sit, reading together for a while until he begins to become drowsy. Healing still required more sleep then he was currently allowing himself. He yawns, and she yawns too. He supposed being the only human in the mansion was rough as far as sleep was concerned. She seemed to enjoy talking to and being around Team Skull, and so her sleep schedule had surely become a bit disrupted. Between staying up to interact with them during the day, and keeping him company at night, she'd taken to napping at random times - not exactly the healthiest of sleep patterns. Guzma feels his eyes start to droop.

He's not sure when or how exactly it happens, but he wakes up hours later to find that they'd fallen asleep on each other. She's leaning with her head on his shoulder, body pressed into him, and her book slipping off of her lap. He's got an arm around her and his head is resting on hers, his book fallen to the ground. He doesn't move for a moment; confused, and also embarrassingly pleased with their closeness. Was this too much? Was he allowing himself to get too close to her in other ways? Was the feeling that grows with every passing day, every smile, every conversation genuine? Or is it just desperate hope? It feels real. It feels like whatever's been planted in his chest is starting to sprout from an honest place. But how could he be certain?

Guzma looks out the window at the fading light and knows he'll transform soon. He gently (and reluctantly) removes himself from her and lays her on the couch so she can sleep longer. He stops her book from falling, careful to make sure to save her place, and leaves it open on the arm of the couch for her. Her hair has fallen in her face, so he brushes it back behind her ear, wishing he could've stayed longer and just continued napping on the couch with her.

But, of course, there is this curse. Then there's also everything he'd done to earn it. Even if his feelings are genuine, she deserved better than what he could offer. Maybe he should quit while he's ahead? Maybe he should cut off this growing feeling before something inevitably happens to cause it to wilt and die? Questions to ask himself when he's alone in his room, transformed into a monster. He closes the door behind him, leaving her to rest.


	10. But he was Mean, and he was Coarse, and

Guzma doesn't always come down right away for breakfast, but Plumeria does, like clockwork. You note that she is, perhaps, the most responsible member of Team Skull and also the most straightforward. So now that you're sitting with her yet again, with questions tugging at your insides, you know she's the person to ask. Something had been eating at you ever since he'd shown you the reading room; ever since more and more of a softer side was starting to come out of him.

"Plumes," you start, having grown accustomed to calling her the nickname as well, "Why are you all cursed?"

She seems a bit taken aback by the question and you realize you'll have to explain more.

"It's just that the stories I've heard make you guys, and especially Guzma, seem, well, pretty bad. Stealing Pokemon? Terrorizing all of Alola? ...but I'm having a hard time seeing how any of that could be true."

Plumeria laughs a bit. "Well girlie, things weren't always as they are now. Guzma can still be kinda rough sometimes, but believe me, he's come a long way. But I guess years and years of being trapped in a place will do that to anyone."

"So you're saying Team Skull did do those things."

She looks around for a moment, thinking. "People who are hurting sometimes do things they shouldn't. I'm not saying that makes it right or ok, and I'm not saying it excuses it; I'm just saying that it is what it is. When the boss started this whole thing, you better believe he was in a bad place. And all the people he took under his wing - all the people you see here - most of them come from sad stories too. So we banded together and became the family that we all had lost. We've done some things none of us are proud of."

"But, things are different now?" you ask, concerned and even fearful of how things might have been.

"Oh, they're way different," Plumeria laughs ruefully. "I guess the punishment worked, huh?"

You look around and see one grunt napping on a table, and another practically lapping at a bowl of soup like a dog. "I just can't imagine how it could have been that bad."

"Well, we were always a little bumbling, if that's what you mean," she says, gesturing at the grunts. "But there was also a lot of bitterness and a need to prove ourselves along with that."

"Prove to who?"

"All of Alola. So many of us failed the island challenge, or disappointed our parents in some way. A lot of us were kicked out of homes or ran away. Many had no where else to go. But Guzma gave us somewhere to go. Then he gave us a means for the revenge we thought we wanted."

You look at her a bit alarmed. Revenge?

"Hey," Plumeria says when she sees your face, "Like I said, it was a different time. We would have done anything; steal, cheat, destroy, and, yeah, terrorize to find that revenge. Thing about revenge is, you think you're gonna feel better once you get it, but that's not what happens. You might feel vindicated for a moment, but that moment's over when you realize all you sacrificed to get it. For us, that sacrifice was freedom."

"So, you don't feel that way anymore? You'd change it if you could?"

She smiles at you. "Well, yeah, would mean not being trapped here. After everything, I think the best revenge might just be forgetting who did you wrong. You don't have to forgive, but move on without them, you know? At least that way they aren't dictating what you do anymore. As long as you're still trying to get that vindication, they're still in control."

"I guess..." you say. "And Guzma?"

"I think he took this whole curse thing the hardest of all of us. But, uh, I guess that's also to be expected right? He got hit a little worse, didn't he? And being the leader of Team Skull and all, he definitely blames himself for what happened."

You take this all in for a moment, imagining just how bad they used to all be. "Do you - do you blame Guzma?"

"I did at first. But we're all stuck in this town together. Not one of us here has a clean slate." She looks you up and down. "Except maybe you, girlie."

You wonder if staying here, despite Alana, Garret, and all your responsibilities back in Tapu Village means that your slate is also no longer clean. "Still," you continue, "do you think Team Skull was bad enough to be cursed?"

She considers this a moment. "Hard to say. Some days I do feel bad for all that we did and I think we deserve this. Other days, it just feels incredibly unfair."

"Did Guzma deserve what he got?" Because that's the real crux of what you're trying to find out isn't it? How bad had Guzma been? How bad could he still be?

"Boss can be a complicated guy. There's things about his past you should probably know, but it's not my place to say. Stick around, and I think you'll find out everything you need to. Just know it's not all black and white."

You let the conversation end, trying to think of ways you could bring this kind of thing up with Guzma. You know your feelings on him have changed and continue to change the longer you stay here, but you can't trust him until you know everything. And, if your determined curiosity had anything to say about it, you'd find out everything one way or another.

* * *

But how do you feel about Guzma? You'd gone from openly detesting him, to actually searching him out whenever you could. In fact, you know he's becoming one of (if not the) main reason you're sticking around. It's hard not to find him interesting, not to mention occasionally even sweet and kind; the reading room thing had definitely endeared him to you. He was so different from Garret. Did Garret even know how much you like to read? You realize you're developing a fondness for Guzma in a way you're not sure you ever felt for Garret.

But you're also guarded. You'd heard several different versions of the story of the Tapus cursing Po Town. None of them painted Guzma in a good light. What exactly was his deal? And when does it become ok to ask? You remember how he took you by the hand when he led you to the reading room. You remember the way it felt to have him recognize your passion and share something with you specifically catered to that. You remember how he looked at you when he saw how pleased you were with what he'd showed you. You're not entirely sure what to call the feelings you're developing for him, but before this goes any further, you have to know more.

You set out looking for him in the mansion. He hadn't been in the dining hall, and he wasn't in his room. When you find him, you're pleasantly surprised to find he's in the reading room. Guess he really was liking that book. "Reading's pretty alright, huh?" you say as you enter the room.

Guzma looks up from his book and grins. "Hey, I've read plenty, princess. Believe it or not, I had a pretty expensive education growing up."

"Good to know," you tell him, smiling and picking up your own book that you were in the middle of.

"Just haven't read much of what's in here," he mutters.

"Why's that?"

"Well, uh," he stops there.

You know he mentioned that this was his mother's reading room before and you wonder if it would be too much to press him. Should you wait longer to ask your questions? Curious as you were, the last thing you wanted to do was push him too hard, too soon on something sensitive.

Guzma sighs. "You wanna go check on Comfey with me?"

All you can do is stare for a moment. He's offering to take you back to the far east room? You hadn't been there since the day you'd run off. "Sure," you say cautiously, setting your book down.

* * *

They're walking down the hallway now. He's nervously leading her there as glass from the broken mirrors crunches under his shoes. He has so many questions, so many doubts, and so much confusion in regards to her. He knows this won't solve all of that, but it's a start. There's certain truths she should know. She has to know the whole story - the true story - and not just the rumors that have reached her village. She deserved to know at least that much.

And if all of that means that she leaves, then so be it.

He stops in front of the door, staring at the handle and rubbing his undercut. He's about to talk about things that he had pushed out of his mind for years. Was this the right time? Was he ready to do this? He might never really be. He opens the door, and walks into what's become a museum of his past.

Comfey sits on her cushion on the couch, as she always does. She doesn't often move much anymore, as she's too feeble, weak, and tired. He notes with some distress, that a couple more petals have fallen from her. "Hey there," he says to the pokemon. "How're you doing?" Comfey gives a small chime in response.

"Does she always stay here?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah, been too afraid to take her anywhere else. She just seems so... fragile now." He cautiously pets the enchanted creature on her tiny head. "It's better that no sees her like this anyway. They don't need to know that, well, you know."

She just nods. "I noticed that there aren't many pokemon around. Is there a reason?"

"We all had our own pokemon at the beginning," he says, moving to one of the few still intact family portraits in the room. He points to the Wimpod in the picture. "See this guy? He was my buddy for many years. Eventually evolved into a Golisopod." He runs his fingers lightly over the image of the pokemon and drops his hand. "But our pokemon weren't affected by the curse. They aged."

She moves closer to him. "So they..."

"Yeah, either grew old and died, or some of the grunts released theirs, not wanting them to be trapped here too. My buddy here's been gone some time now."

"I'm sorry," she says placing a hand on his arm.

He sighs. "Trust me, not as sorry as I am."

She ventures over to the bag of busted golf clubs, tracing the bent part of one of them with a hand. "Guzma... what is all this?"

"My parent's stuff mostly. Bad memories? Junk."

"Does it - does it have anything to do with why you're cursed?"

"Sorta, yeah. So you - you wanna know then?"

She shrugs. "If you want to tell me."

"It's not a happy story, doll, but one you were bound to find out sooner or later."

* * *

He had run off again. He's hiding out in the outskirts of Po Town dreading the inevitable moment he'll have to go back. He'd had another fight with his dad, which was becoming a more and more frequent occurrence. His dad had always been somewhat cold and stern, even when he was very young. His mother had admitted to him once that she tried her best so be as warm and kind as she could to make up for his father's harsh and angry ways. She just wanted to be an antidote to his poison.

But now, a different kind of poison - a real and tangible poison - was getting the best of her. For fifteen years, she'd been the kindest light in Guzma's life, but her light was growing dimmer and dimmer with each day. She's very sick and there would be no recovery. She'd been brought back from the hospital, saying that she'd rather spend what time she had left in Po Town. She grew weaker and weaker and his father grew even colder and more distant. His parents relationship had been rocky for as long as he could remember. Now his mother had no interest in staying in their room. She was always in her reading room now, which she said was alright, because it was her favorite room in the whole mansion.

The fight with his father had, of course, been over something stupid. Guzma tried to avoid letting his mom see it, but her illness was such a source of distress for those in the house. How could it not be? It wasn't her fault, but watching her slowly die had changed both him and his father. There was even more tension between them, and anything and everything was cause for a shouting match. And now, with his mother stuck in the reading room and no longer there to witness and stop him, Guzma's father was growing more violent with him. He rubs at a spot on his chest that will surely bruise.

He'd been sitting at a table doing homework when his father came in. Guzma had mouthed off to him and his dad had suddenly shoved the table into him, roughly pinning him between the table and the wall and knocking the air out of his lungs. He held him there for a few agonizing moments before venomously calling him a "fucking little brat" and releasing the table.

Guzma slid out from between the table and the wall, coughing and holding his chest. Then, before anything more could happen, he dashed off and out the door.

He hid in tall patches of grass now, determined to stay away from the mansion for as long as possible. At one point, his father had come outside the gate and started screaming for him, telling him to "come back now, dammit!" but still he stayed hidden. Even as it grew dark and cold, he remained on the hard ground, hugging his knees to his chest, and watching the grass above him sway in the night breeze.

But then there's sirens and lights going towards Po Town. He stands up to see an ambulance entering the gated community. Panic spreads through every part of him and he fears the worst. He takes off back towards the mansion. As he runs, it begins to rain.

When he gets there, she's already gone. When all the commotion is over, and they've taken her away, the first thing his father says to him are words he'd remember for the rest of his life: "She asked for you, you know."

He stumbles a bit, and grips the edge of a table. The implications of those words drag everything in him further down when he thought he couldn't possibly get any lower. He gasps, choking back tears. He feels nothing but sorrow and regret in that moment, wishing with all he's got that somehow time would reverse and he'd come back sooner. He just wanted to be able to see her one last time. It's loss like he's never known. It feels like some essential part of him has been ripped away and now he's left vulnerable and bleeding. It's a wound that feels like it could never possibly heal because he didn't even get to say goodbye. And neither did she.

And why? Who's fault was that? A white hot rage shoots through him. This was his father's fault. It was all his father's fault and he would never forgive him. Guzma shoves himself away from the table and storms off, wiping tears from his face. If his father wanted to be an asshole, then he'd be an asshole right back.

After that night, the rift between him and his father grew only wider and more chaotic.

Guzma knew that his mother's presence was what held back so much of his father's temper and violence. What he hadn't realized, was what was staved off within him while she was around. Life without her was darker in a way he hadn't known before. All there was, was him, his father, and those who worked in the mansion. It rained so often now, as if the sky itself knew the light was gone from Po Town. And without the light, monsters emerged.

Arguments grew to feel near daily. There was an anger in Guzma now that he couldn't seem to control; a constant aching pain that would be subdued by nothing. It egged him on so that when his father pushed, Guzma pushed back both metaphorically and physically. Years would pass this way.

With the mansion and Po Town holding no peace for Guzma, he began to spend more and more time outside of it. There, in the "unsavory" parts of Alola his parents had always avoided, he found new family. This was when he had met Plumeria and Liam, both of whom had been tossed out of their homes and left to fend for themselves. Others in their ever-growing collective had similar stories. They banded together, with Guzma taking a natural spot as ringleader. And what does a group of bored and angry teenagers and young adults do when left to their own devices? Nothing good. They named themselves Team Skull and became a well known group of delinquents. They shoplifted, stole, trespassed, and damaged property.

Having Team Skull does not heal the wound Guzma seemed to always be nursing, but it holds it together enough to at least stop the bleeding. Here, he finally had an identity other than being the son of who his parents were in Alolan high society. He had a role that he had forged for himself. And he wasn't alone. But he wanted to break the ties between himself and his father even further. He wanted to leave Po Town behind for good. By this time he had already legally been an adult for a while, but still the mansion was home. But no longer. It was time to leave the posh nest he had long outgrown.

He walks up the long path through the center of town toward the mansion in the pouring rain that night, watching the building grow ever closer for what he plans on being the last time. He gathers what he deems most valuable and useful, and looks around his room in finality. Then he leaves and closes the door behind him. When he turns, his father is standing there.

"Where are you going now?" he asks Guzma.

Guzma pulls his bag tighter over his shoulder. "What's it to you?"

"You running off?"

"I ain't coming back neither."

"You're going nowhere, boy. We need to talk."

Guzma shoots his father a nasty look. Boy? By this point he's taller than his father and far from any age where he should be called a boy. "Don't have time, old man. Got places to be."

"And where exactly will you go, huh? I haven't kicked you out. There's no reason to leave."

Truthfully, Guzma was surprised he hadn't been kicked out. For all the awfulness his father had done, it is true that he had at least not done that. But that didn't mean he felt welcomed here. "I'll figure things out on my own."

"Guzma, you're staying."

Guzma scoffs at him. He's had enough. He tries to walk past him, but then his father shoves him back.

Anger bubbles in him. "Keep your hands off of me!" he shouts, returning the shove. He tries again to leave, and again he's shoved backwards.

It's then that the violence between them escalates to a new level; one that hadn't been reached before. Guzma's bag drops to the ground, as the two of them engage in what quickly becomes a brawl in the hallway. Blows are exchanged back and forth and a rage that had been barely contained for years is let loose between them. Guzma is slammed into the wall as they struggle. He might have height, but his father still had weight. Another hard knock against a door, and it opens, both of them falling inside.

His father gets up before he can and viciously yanks a golf club out of a bag that had been sitting in the room. He comes towards Guzma, red-faced and wild-eyed. Guzma scrambles to his feet and goes for cover. His father's now armed, angry, and out for blood in a way he's yet to see from him. The club comes down, and a ceramic lamp shatters, pieces of it flying everywhere. His dad raises the club again and this time a vase is the unlucky victim. All the while he's yelling and panting, spit flying from his mouth. "You ungrateful little bastard! You fucking criminal!"

The club comes down on a painting near Guzma and he winces away looking around for a way out. His father swings the club erratically, blocking the door, so there's only one escape Guzma can make. He makes a dash for the glass door behind him leading out to the balcony.

The rain outside is harsh and unrelenting, pummeling down in thick sheets. Guzma slips, and slides into the rail guarding the edge.

There's the sound of glass shattering as his father throws the door open, causing it to fly backwards and break. Then he's above Guzma, golf club glinting in the moonlight. Guzma raises his arms, preparing for the blow. It comes down, and pieces of the railing explode under the hit beside his head. His father had barely missed him.

"You know why I haven't tossed your ass out?!" his father screams, "Because you're all I have left of her! But there's nothing of her in you, is there?!" He raises the club again.

He takes a step forward, about to bring it down again, but he falls forward, his feet coming out from underneath him in the slickness the rain has caused. He flails, trying to stop the fall, but he tumbles, over Guzma, and over the railing, to the ground below.

That night would not be the last Guzma would see of the mansion. He had suddenly lost his father and gained Po Town in the same moment.

* * *

His father's death is so different from his mothers. It's a mix of emotions he was never able to properly sort. Despite everything, some part of him still mourns this loss. But it's hard to focus on it too much when suddenly he's signing paperwork and being given long instructions and speeches that he barely understands. As his parents only son, he's inherited all they had, including their wealth, property, and influence. They had more or less been the leaders of Po Town, having sponsored much of the construction of the gated community. They decided who was worthy of living there, and who wasn't. They decided what was allowed and what wasn't. They ran everything within the gates. And all of this responsibility had just fallen to Guzma.

But Guzma had other plans. This town, in which he'd felt like such an oddball growing up, was now under his thumb, and things were going to change. He began with giving Team Skull a new home. His tenants complained. He told them to leave. In fact, the last few of the wealthy occupants to remain in the town were practically forced from their homes. This was his team's headquarters now, and no longer a safe haven for Alola's elite.

Team Skull grew in both members and power, and Guzma grew colder and crueler. It felt like there was something he was trying to fix within him and the only answers he could come up with were to become more powerful and notorious. So he sent his team out to steal all they could and raise as much hell as possible. They traded their small-time delinquency for bigger things like stealing pokemon and destroying property.

But it just never felt like enough. He was so deeply unhappy and it showed in his interactions with just about everyone. He never hit, but he could yell, he could scream and he could demand ever more from those around him. At this point, even Plumeria and Liam, both his best friends, and one his admin, started to avoid him. He was Big Bad Guzma through and through.

And so this went on, until the night four kids showed up at his door.

The grunts brought them up to his throne room. They didn't look like much. Just some trainers on their island challenge looking for a place to get out of the storm for the night. There were two girls, and two boys. "This ain't no charity," he told them. "You wanna stay, you gotta pay."

"We don't have money," one of the girls answered.

Guzma laughed. "Don't need money, kid. I want a pokemon. Strongest one you've got."

The four of them look at one another. Then a boy comes forward and hands Guzma a pokeball.

When Guzma releases it, a bright and colorful Comfey pops out. He scoffs at them. "Kids, kids, now you're gonna have to do better than this. This? This is garbage."

"But that's the best we've got!" says the other boy. "Please let us stay! We have no where else to go."

Guzma shakes his head. "No can do. You can't pay, you can't stay."

The other girl steps forward. "Look again! You might find there's more to it than you think."

"Kid, it's a Comfey. Ain't nothing to it but flowers."

"If you're sure..." says the first boy.

Guzma crosses his arms. "Never been more sure of anything in my life."

And those were the last words Guzma said free of curse. In a flash of light, what were once four kids standing before him are now the four island deities. He and everyone else in the room is completely stunned. No one reacts. And then, they recite that poem. That awful, rancid poem that haunts his dream to this day. By the end of it, he was a monster, his grunts were Lycanrocs, and the Tapus were gone, leaving just the Comfey in their place and rain that refused to stop. No longer could they leave Po Town and everyone outside had forgotten them. They were left to rot as beasts in this damn town he always seemed to find himself trapped in.

When morning comes and he transforms back, he thinks it's all been a bad dream. He defies the Tapus and tries to leave, only to come back with fresh cuts and wounds. No one comes near the town anymore. Everyone outside truly had let it slip from memory, and it began to fade into rumor. It takes days for him to understand all that's happened and finally believe it. Even longer for him to come to terms with it.

At first he locks himself away, refusing to see anyone, and seething with rage at what he deems an unfair punishment. But when he finally leaves the seclusion of his room, he finds himself faced with recognizing that he's trapped more than just himself within the town. Because of him, all of Team Skull is stuck here too.

And that, is what finally begins to unravel the veneer of toughness and bravado he's built up.

Years drag on, though they don't age. Each year takes him down a peg, and increases his regrets. Pokemon die, hopes die, pretense dies, even some of the grunts die making desperate attempts to leave the town.

Guzma grows kinder towards the grunts, and they in turn grow to care for him. The time and shared predicament make them far more of a family then their delinquency on the streets ever did. But change as Guzma might, he knows it's not enough. As he falls into despair, he refuses to leave the mansion, secluding himself to the building they now call Shady House.

* * *

And that's how it had been. Until she showed up. Was there finally hope now? Could he come back from all he's done? Or would his childhood home be his prison forever? He looks at her now, standing with her in the far east room where he's long locked up these stories along with any object that remind him of them. Along with Comfey. Is the truth that yes, he really had been as bad as all that she heard too much?

He looks into her eyes, not quite able to read the expression on her face. Should he have told her all this?

Yes, he had to. Whether it chases her off or not, she had to know. He looks at the ground. "If I could go back, there's so much I would change. But I can't. All I can say is, I'm not - I'm not the same person anymore. At least I hope I'm not. I just thought you should know everything. And if it's too much; if all of it makes you want to leave, that's ok. I understand. I-"

Guzma once again finds himself surprised by her embrace. She says nothing, just holds him to her. He sighs in relief, tension leaving him, as his arms find their way around her and his head rests on top of hers. She pulls him closer, hugging him tight till they're completely flush together. They stay there like that, standing in the light coming from the circular window. He closes his eyes, shutting out the room so that there's nothing but the comforting feeling of the two of them together.


	11. We'll Wait and See a Few Days More

There's not much to say. What could you really say to all that he's told you? Anything you can think of to say feels hollow and like it will fall flat. Your mind is too preoccupied with trying to organize all the information you'd just been given. The holes in all the stories you've heard have been filled and many of your lingering questions have been answered. You've heard Guzma's side of things and you feel better for it, even if some of what you feared was confirmed. Some part of you had hoped that the tales of Team Skull's wrongdoings had been exaggerated, but as it turns out, they really had stolen, vandalized, and terrorized Alola. They'd been so bad that they needed divine intervention from the Tapus. But how hard do you judge the man standing before you now for the man he once was?

It's unclear how long Guzma and Team Skull have been trapped here, but what is clear is what those years - and the guilt - have done to him. He's looking at you now, clearly trying to read you, but he doesn't seem able to. He looks tired, defeated, and even scared. Scared of how you'll react knowing that the rumors you've heard have been confirmed; of what you'll think of him now that you know of the events that have scarred him. For all the wealth and riches he grew up with, his life wasn't exactly charmed.

So what now then? Now that your curiosity has been satiated. What do you think of him? How do you feel? He seems to give up on trying to read you and looks at the ground. "If I could go back, there's so much I would change," he starts, and you can tell he's sincere. He's a far cry from the half-man, half-beast you'd met on the night you were corralled into Po Town.

"But I can't," he continues. "All I can say is, I'm not - I'm not the same person anymore. At least I hope I'm not." It's then you realize you've got a decision to make: Look beyond his past and continue down this road with your budding feelings for him, or leave. You don't know the Guzma that used to be. All you know is the one before you now. The one who started out gruff, but saved you when he barely knew you, and expected nothing in return. The one you've laughed with, and read with, and grow more anxious to know better each day. The guy with the crooked smile who hates whipped cream, but he likes you. And you really can't deny any longer how much you like him.

"I just thought you should know everything. And if it's too much; if all of it makes you want to leave, that's ok. I understand. I-" Words might be failing you, but your instincts aren't. You give in to what they tell you, hugging him, and he goes silent.

You feel him sigh against you as he relaxes into your embrace. The nervousness leaving him is almost palpable. You hold him tighter, hoping he can feel what it is you're trying to say.

The two of you stay there like that until you tell him, "Hey, it's ok, Big Bad Wolf."

There's a small rumble of laughter that you feel from his chest that's still pressed to you and you smile. It's always nice to hear him laugh.

"I get it, ya know," you continue. "I - I lost my parents too."

The two of you finally break apart and he looks at you, both curious and concerned. He knows of Tapu Village, Alana, and some minor details of your background, but this? This you hadn't brought up yet. It felt... difficult to do until now. "You ever heard of the International Police?"

Guzma nods so you continue. "My parents were both officers and they were part of something called the UB Task Force. I still don't know much about it; there was so much they weren't allowed to tell me. About three years ago, they were sent out to investigate and take down something they called an ultra beast. Apparently it was determined to go after my mom for whatever reason, and in the battle with it, they both were killed. I've heard of my mom referred to as a 'faller,' but no one ever explained what that means. There's a lot that the International Police wouldn't explain, and after my parents died, Interpol sorta disappeared from our lives. So it's just been me, Alana, and a bunch of questions that will never be answered."

It's maybe not as long and dramatic as his story, but now it's Guzma's turn to look at you and wonder what to say. You decide to brush it off. You'd long grown tired of looks of sympathy from everyone over your parents. At least in Tapu Village, those looks didn't last all that long anyway. The expressions had changed from concern to judgment over how you were raising Alana.

Alana. You look away from Guzma feeling a pang of guilt. You really did miss your little sister and you wonder how she's doing. Soon; soon you'd go back. You couldn't just stay here forever. Right? You also feel a little guilty for not being more concerned about Garret. But really, how concerned could he possibly be about you? Knowing him, probably not much. If nothing else, you decide that you need to end whatever is happening between the two of you when you get back. How much of seeing him was to earn the approval of the village anyway? Date the champion and maybe they wouldn't think you're doing so bad, right? You wonder then what the village would make of Guzma.

Whatever it is they would think, you come to the conclusion that it just doesn't matter. After all you've seen in Po Town; after all the impossibilities you've seen be possible, what some small-minded people some village think couldn't be that important. And to realize that, is freeing.

"Hey," Guzma says, bringing your attention back to him. He's looking at you so concerned. Right, you were talking about your parents. "I'm sorry," he tells you. You smile at him.

You appreciate that he seems to want to comfort you, but you're feeling so ready to move on from all the sadness now. You're not sure how much longer you'll stay here, but you feel determined to make the rest of your stay happy. "So, when's the last time you went outside? You know, for fun."

* * *

He had hemmed and hawed about it, especially with how close it was getting to dusk, but she sure was persistent. They're in the dining hall now, and she's still trying to convince him.

"Seriously, when's the last time you actually had fun? At all."

He scratches at his undercut, staring off and thinking. "Uh, well."

"See? You don't even remember!"

"Hey! I have fun! With, uh, with you," he says, his cheeks coloring slightly.

She laughs. "Cute, but maybe not quite what I mean."

Plumeria and Liam are, of course, no help.

"Yeah! Come out with us tonight!" Liam adds.

Plumeria smiles at him. "Some fresh air probably would be good for you."

Guzma groans and rolls his eyes.

She'd asked him why exactly he refused to go outside anyway, and truthfully, he couldn't quite explain it. He supposed that it was perhaps a self-imposed punishment; some guilt that had driven him to sequester himself and by this point it's almost a fear. Sure, he hadn't thought much about it when he'd charged out to save her, but to go back out by choice when he doesn't have to? That fills him with unease.

She backs off a bit when she realizes this, clearly not wanting to force him to do anything he's not ready for. She doesn't bring it up again until it's just the two of them in his room. "Are you afraid to go out?" she asks, trying to confirm her suspicions.

"No. I mean - no, not afraid. I just-"

She laughs and takes one of his hands. "Oh, right, Big Bad Wolf's afraid of nothing, huh?"

He smirks at her and takes a step closer, giving her hand a slight squeeze. "Nope, nothing at all."

"Wanna prove it?" It's her turn to move in and now they're mere inches from one another.

Guzma reaches up and tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear, his eyes locked on hers. They're so close now; all he'd have to do is lean down a bit. He desperately wants to and it feels like there's some kind of magnetic pull drawing them closer...

But then his eyes go to the window. The sun is just about set. He's going to transform any second. He gently breaks away from her, disappointment flaring in his chest. She looks confused, so he nods to the window. "Mind turning around for a second?"

Her eyes light up in understanding and she turns around so he can strip off his clothes - no point in ruining them. He feels the tingling that's always accompanied the start of the transformation. A moment later and what was once hands are paws, and what was once skin is now blue-green fur. He sighs. Yet another moment the curse has taken from him.

She turns back around when he tells her it's alright. "So," she says. "We going out, or what?"

* * *

He's not sure what she actually intends to do outside, especially what would be "fun." He feels very self-conscious and a little exposed as they stand in the entrance way. Since the two of them him had started growing closer, he hates the transformations at night even more, even though he now has someone to talk to. When he's a man, it's easier to imagine that she could want him in the same way he wants her. But this form is another story. It's as if all he's done wrong has come to the surface and has manifested itself as fur, claws, and teeth. He doesn't feel like anything but a monster in front of her at night. True, she might not shy away from him or suddenly avoid him once he's transformed, but like the kiss that was interrupted, it certainly puts a damper on things. The more he longs for something more with her, the more his transformations feel like a hindrance. This is not the way he wants her to see him. He thinks of Comfey upstairs and feels a flicker of despair at the thought of this being permanent.

The door's opened and they're standing in front of it. Outside all of Team Skull, now Lycanrocs, are running about in the rain that never stops. Plumeria and Liam stand outside waiting to see if he'll actually come out.

He's surprised she's not trying to do more to protect herself from the rain. She'd gotten no umbrella or anything. "Aren't you - aren't you worried about getting sick?" he asks her in his rough, growling voice that always comes after the transformation.

She shrugs. "Eh, Alola's not exactly cold. Little rain never hurt no one." She turns to him. "You coming?"

He knows there's nothing to be afraid of, but that doesn't stop him from feeling it. He wants nothing more than to sulk in his room, and wait for morning, but then she takes his paw and holds his arm. It's the most she's touched him in this form since she'd bandaged him. She doesn't hesitate or shudder away, which makes him relax, and take a step outside the door.

It's so different from when he had run out after her. That had been so sudden and quick that there wasn't time to process everything or notice what was around him. Po Town was still quite pretty in its own way he realized. The street lamps light up the scene in front of him, casting a warm, yellow glow on everything, including all the graffiti. The purples, yellows, greens, and oranges of the paint look almost celebratory right now. Puddles have gathered from the rain and Lycanrocs are splashing in them, chasing one another about. The night is warm, wet, and strangely welcoming.

The rain falling on him is starting to soak his fur. He looks to where her arm is resting on his, and then to her. She's got her head thrown back and her eyes closed, feeling the rain landing on her face. Her other hand is raised up with her palm stretched out. She lowers her head, and looks back at him, catching him staring at her, and smiles. Her hair is getting wet and sticking to the sides of her face. She lets go of his arm and suddenly jumps in a puddle near them, splashing him with rainwater and snapping him out of his revere.

"Hey!" he yells. "We weren't getting wet enough?"

"Nope!" she laughs.

He cautiously takes another step forward. Liam and Plumeria run by on either side of him, obviously excited. Liam takes a giant leap into the puddle, splashing both him and her. She raises her arms up against the spray, giggling.

Liam continues to leap about in the puddle, kicking up water in all directions. "Alright! Alright!" Guzma yells at the Lycanroc, but he takes off again when Guzma gets close to him. He watches Liam and Plumeria chase each other across Po Town. There was definitely something about being Lycanrocs that changed them. They remembered events that happen at night, and are still very much themselves, but there's an added layer of wildness to them that Guzma doesn't quite share. He feels a little jealous that they're able to find joy while in these forms.

She jumps in another puddle beside him. "You gonna just keep huffing and puffing?"

He looks down, finds a puddle, and carefully puts a paw in it. Then he raises it back up and stomps it down, splashing her.

She laughs, splashes him back, and then takes off, jumping in puddles across the town, as Lycanrocs bound along beside her. He watches them all run and bounce around, as if they couldn't care less about anything else in the world right now. Why can't he find it in himself to join them?

He's splashed again and turns to see Plumeria standing in her vacated puddle.

"You too, huh?" he asks her.

She responds by giving a short bark.

Both Liam and her run by again, making sure not to miss any puddles on their way. They run circles around Guzma and he watches them feeling something build within him. He has to admit that it's kind of nice to see her having so much fun. And if he sets aside his jealousy, it was good to see the grunts enjoying themselves too. Maybe he was being too uptight. Maybe if he just...

He feels incredibly silly at first, but as she and Liam take back off into the town, he starts to run after them. Then, that fear of looking ridiculous melts away and all he can feel is the freeing sensation of wind whipping through his fur and the rain hitting his face as he catches up to her and leaps into a puddle. She yells in surprise and laughs, and he grins toothily at her.

And that was all it took. They all run about together through the town, laughing, carrying on, splashing, and forgetting about all that is so terrible about the curse for a while.

* * *

They stay out most of the night, sitting and talking by the empty pool that's half full of rain water when running about becomes tiring. Guzma has to admit, it was indeed the most fun night he'd had in a very long time. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that worry free. As dawn creeps up, the Lycanrocs begin to filter into the mansion. They decide to go inside too, now exhausted and hungry.

She gets up from the pool saying, "Right, gotta get back inside before your 'unexpected benefit' happens."

He huffs. "Thought you called it a disadvantage."

"Oh, did I say that? Really?" she says sarcastically as they go through the mansion door.

"Yep. Sure did. Cut me pretty deep too."

"Well next time I'll treat your nakedness as the benefit it clearly is," she laughs.

"Hey, here's hoping," Guzma mutters.

She grins at him "What was that?"

"Nothing."

She bumps him with her shoulder and then they part ways to shower and change. Guzma can't keep the smile off his face as he makes his way back to his room. Maybe, just maybe, there was some hope.

* * *

But if there is hope, maybe it's also time to do something more, but what? He, Plumeria, and Liam are talking in his room now. He hadn't mentioned too much about her to them, not wanting to get them too excited about anything, but now he needed advice. He feels a bit immature talking it out like this; like a bunch of highschoolers planning out the next move on his crush.

"We have a party!" Liam suggests. "You know, like we used to, boss."

Plumeria considers this a moment. "It's true we haven't done that in a while. Could be good for morale anyway." She always did have a habit of putting the grunts first.

Liam elbows him. "And good for making a move, huh?"

"How did I know you were going to suggest a party," Guzma says.

Liam shrugs. "What can I say? I miss 'em. Come on, boss! I'll even handle the decorations and shit!"

"We do this, and you gotta make a move on Ethan," Guzma tells him, raising an eyebrow.

Ethan's face falls. "This ain't about gettin' me laid, this is about gettin' you laid."

Guzma crosses his arms. "Those are my stipulations."

"You're both ridiculous," Plumeria tells them.

Liam looks unsure.

Guzma holds a hand out to him. "Deal?"

Liam hesitates, then shakes Guzma's hand. "Fine, you got it, boss."

Plumeria stands up. "Great, now that we've got that settled, looks like we've got a party to plan."


	12. Tale as Old as Time

The biggest room in the mansion is the dining hall. Years ago, when it seemed like the grunts were growing restless and perhaps even depressed, they'd clear all the tables and chairs from the room, and deck it out as best they could for a party. This would be a fun few hours of dancing and carrying on until night came and the curse could no longer be ignored. But as years went by, these events became less and less frequent, until they didn't happen at all. The idea would be brought up from time to time, but either Guzma would shut it down or there just wouldn't be enough enthusiasm for it.

But enthusiasm seems in abundance now. Word had spread throughout the mansion, that yes, finally they would be having another Team Skull bash, and furthermore, the boss was finally going to make his move. Both of these things had long been anticipated, and the grunts charged with planning the party were determined to do the most they could.

True to his word, Liam took charge in clearing out and decorating the dining hall. Among his group or party planners, is Ethan, causing Liam's normally relaxed and goofy demeanor to be broken.

Guzma's watching them now as they set about blocking out all the windows in the room. Sure, they may not be able to party at night as Lycanrocs, but they could at least pretend. Ethan is helping Liam cover a window with a thick, dark sheet, and there's a blush that hasn't left Liam's cheeks. Guzma can't help but find it amusing that Liam, who normally never shuts up, seems stunned into silence at Ethan's mere presence. Even so, the fact that he is so much as interacting with Ethan is a step forward.

Liam might not be quick thinking when it comes to his own romantic endeavors, but Guzma's grateful that he was, on occasion, quick thinking for him. When they'd started clearing the dining hall, she had asked what was going on. Guzma had felt reluctant to tell her, as he had wanted this to be a surprise like the reading room. He mumbles to her that they're "sorta setting up a party kinda" and she'd asked what the occasion was. Liam cut in and told her that it was in celebration of Guzma fully recovering and had led her off to find something to distract her before coming back to help again. He wondered why Liam couldn't be that smooth when it came to Ethan.

Liam stumbles, falls and brings the sheet down with him. Ethan bends over, asking him if he's ok, and Liam's face couldn't possibly get any redder. Or so Guzma thought, until Ethan held out a hand to help Liam up. Luckily Ethan seems understanding enough of Liam's nervousness. After helping him to his feet, he still holds onto Liam's hand and shakes his arm a bit, telling him, "Hey, it's alright! Relax, ok?" And surprisingly, Liam does actually seem to grow more comfortable. The redness starts to leave his face, and his shoulders are no longer tense.

Guzma silently wishes his friend the best, then turns to take a walk around the rest of the room and survey the progress. He finds Plumeria hunched over a laptop going through a collection of songs on some program. He can't help but laugh a bit when he sees how hard she's concentrating. Plumeria took many things seriously, but none more seriously than music. When it'd come to their previous parties, this was her domain. "How's it going, DJ Plumes?" he asks her.

She looks up at him, shaking her head a bit at the nickname. "Just about done picking out what'll be best I think. Kinda missed doing this."

He sits down next to her. "Yeah, well, you always had an ear for it."

"I wonder sometimes," she says, looking up from the laptop out across the room. "What could have been without this curse. If I'd kept doing music, kept DJing, all of that. There's a lot that I just stopped doing over the years."

Guzma rubs at his undercut, feeling a pang of guilt. "I think we all stopped doing a lot after a while, ya know?"

Plumeria nods and looks at him. "Do you - do you really think this is it? It's gonna be such a close call if it is." He realizes she's referring to the curse and her.

"I mean..." he's unsure what to say. It feels like such an awkward thing to talk about, and he's never been very good at expressing this kinda thing anyway.

"You like her, right?"

He runs a hand down the side of his face. "Yes. A lot."

Plumeria goes back to searching through her laptop, "Then you better make sure she knows it, G."

* * *

That was the plan, wasn't it? The whole real point of this party was to give them an opportunity to progress this further. And it should all go fine, right? She's into him, isn't she? She had nearly kissed him. So why is he starting to get nervous? Guzma finds himself wishing there wasn't so much riding on this. That they were just two people outside this town who'd just happen to meet and hit it off. That there was no added pressure of the curse. If there's one thing he feels he needs to do, he has to make sure she knows that this isn't about the curse; that he'd feel this way regardless.

He thinks of all this as he helps grunts cover windows, hang up whatever they could find for decorations, and later, even rig lighting. It'd turned out that Ethan had been holding out on them. As he and Liam talk throughout the day, it's revealed that Ethan's a bit of a tech wizard when they find some motorized lights that had long been forgotten about in one of the rooms. So, he sets about programming a sort of light show to go along with Plumeria's music. Liam practically beams with pride as Ethan orders around Guzma and some of the grunts around while installing the various lights, which they'd pulled from around the mansion. Together Liam and Ethan even manage to create a spotlight with a cutout of the Team Skull logo.

It takes a few days to get everything just right, and while it may not be perfect, it was as close as they could get with simply cobbling things together from around Po Town. It is the most effort they've ever put into one of their parties, and Guzma's feeling a certain amount of pride that these kids, who no one saw potential in, all had various talents that made this reformed dining hall a reality. It was impressive what they'd managed to do with so little.

It'd been difficult to keep her from seeing it. With the dining room unavailable, they'd all been eating around the mansion. Guzma did his best to make sure she was brought food, so that she didn't have to pass through the dining hall to get to the kitchen. She seemed slightly annoyed by this, but she complied. The hall would remain a surprise for her.

As it draws closer to the start of the party, he becomes more and more nervous, trying to plan out what he'll do and say.

* * *

"How about this?" Plumeria asks, handing you yet another tiny black dress.

You've lost count of how many there have been. You finally decide to just say it. "Don't - don't you guys have anything that's not, well, black?"

Plumeria pauses, looking at you.

"Not that there's anything wrong with black! It's just, I dunno, not quite my thing," you tell her. Truthfully, in some ways you'd even grown tired of the Team Skull tanks and pants you'd been wearing in your time here. They sure were dedicated to that black and white look. It suited many of them, especially Guzma and Plumeria, but you're unsure of how it looks on you. You like a little more color.

Plumeria puts a hand to her chin, thinking. Then she lights up, smiling at you. "Actually, I think I do!" She goes back to rooting in a closet full of clothes. "Can't believe I forgot about this one!" she yells to you. There's sounds of fabric being pushed aside and the clattering of hangers and other things, then she reemerges, holding out a dress. "I think it's perfect! What do you think?"

You take the dress from her, and look it over. Most of it is a very light gray. It's a short cocktail dress that flares out a bit at the hips and has a sweetheart neckline. There's purple accents along the bottom of the dress that you realize is the repeating pattern of a Wimpod tail. There's additional purple with the small collar around the neckline that almost gives the impression of antennae, a band around the waist, and the spaghetti straps are purple as well.

You run your fingers over the soft material. You always did have a thing for purple, and if the tattoos were any indication, Guzma does as well. You smile up at Plumeria. "Yep! This is it for sure!"

* * *

It's time now, and you're pretty excited to see what the dining hall looks like. It'd taken them multiple days to do whatever they were doing in there. You look in the mirror in your room, feeling a little sheepish. It's like it's prom and you're waiting on your date. Plumeria had found purple flats for you to wear with the Wimpod dress. You'd done your hair and makeup with things some of the grunts had lent you that they had stashed away. You twist around a bit, looking at yourself in the mirror from all sides. You look pretty good, you think, though you hope you don't seem overdressed compared to everyone else.

There's a knock on the door and you open it to find Plumeria and Liam there.

"Very nice, girlie," Plumeria tells you.

Liam nods his approval. "Ya boy will be all about this!"

"Yeah?" you say. "Speaking of which, what'd ya do to Guzma?"

"We may have made him clean up a bit." Liam winks at you.

Plumeria nods towards the stairs. "Come on down and see."

* * *

The three of you stop in front of the double doors to the dining hall. You slowly open them and take a step inside, joy and awe bring a giant smile to your face. It's almost as if they've managed to set up a nightclub within the hall. The windows have all been covered to simulate night and lights are strung up around the room, moving and flashing along to the booming music. Purple, yellow, orange, and green decorations, like the colorful graffiti outside have been put up on the walls, and there's a spotlight shining the Team Skull logo down on what seems to be the middle of a dance floor. Grunts are milling about, some dancing, some nursing drinks. It looks nothing like the dining hall it once was; all of their hard work has transformed it into something far beyond what you thought would be possible using just what they have in the town. With all the lights and colors, it's downright magical.

You walk further inside, admiring all around you. Plumeria leaves to attend to the music, and Liam goes off, you assume, to find Ethan. You're still taking it all in when you hear a familiar voice say, "hey," behind you.

You turn, and there's Guzma, who has indeed been cleaned up a bit. The sweat pants have been exchanged for black jeans, the hoodie for an open light gray button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a purple shirt that just so happens to be the same shade as the purple on your dress. You realize that the two of you match and you wonder if Liam and Plumeria did this on purpose.

Guzma rubs at the back of his neck. "You look - you look great."

You smile. "So do you!" You step closer and pull him into a hug. "I see you're wearing the Wimpod evolution line as well."

"Blame Liam for that one." Guzma laughs as you part. He gestures to the room around you. "So what do you think?"

"It's awesome! I can't believe you all managed to do this."

"Yeah, surprised me even," he admits. "We've never made this old dining hall look so good before."

You look him over again, admiring how this set of tighter clothes fits him. His arms especially seem nice and welcoming in the rolled up button up, and damn he could make a pair of jeans look good. He glances at you, catching you staring, and you blush, hoping it's not noticeable in the darkened room.

A few grunts greet the both of you as they approach and make conversation for a while. They start talking about a human that's been sighted within Po Town but keeps disappearing. Someone who's not you.

Guzma brushes it off, telling you it's just the grunts imaginations running wild after being trapped so long.

"I'm telling you, boss," says a female grunt. "There was a guy! And he was just looking in windows and shit!"

"And then what?" Guzma asks.

"He just vanished when I looked again!"

Guzma sighs and rolls his eyes.

"No, no, for real!" says a male grunt. "One time I was sleeping, right? Then I heard a noise. When I looked, there was someone who moved real fast outta the window. He was looking in!"

"Did you go looking for whoever it was?"

"Yeah, but they were gone, boss."

"Are you trying to tell me Shady House is haunted by a human?"

The grunts shrug. "Maybe," says the male one.

Guzma groans, running a hand down the side of his face.

You question him when the grunts leave. "You're not... a little concerned about that?"

He puts a hand around your waist and pulls you closer, sending a tingling sensation up your spine. "Doll, if there really was a human in Po Town, I'd know about it."

You press into the side of him a bit, feeling giddy. You wonder to yourself what it is you hope to happen tonight; what he's hoping for. The two of you had nearly kissed in his room not too long ago - something you remember feeling sorely disappointed about not happening. You'd been so close to acting on the ever growing pull that seems to draw the two of you together. That attraction had been something you'd questioned yourself on too. You'd lain awake at night trying to pull apart your emotions for him and separate them from the curse. The only conclusion you could come to was that curse or no, you've grown so fond of how you feel when he's around. It's like something familiar and yet still so new. It's comforting but also exciting. Strange that someone could almost feel like home and an adventure at the same damn time. And yet, there was also still a distance between the two of you.

But maybe that distance could be closed tonight.

You look around the hall and spot Liam. He looks absolutely ecstatic as he dances with Ethan out on the floor. Well, that certainly had come a ways from Liam merely stuttering and blushing in front of him. "Look!" you tell Guzma.

He follows your gaze, his face splitting into a grin when he sees his friend. He puts a hand around his mouth and yells, "Yeah! Fucking get it, Liam!"

Liam does not stop dancing, but he looks around, a little confused, until he spots Guzma. He grins back at him and flips him off before returning his attention to Ethan.

You look for Plumeria and find her in a booth that's been set up with various equipment around her that she's busy with. She's got a large set of headphones on, and the biggest smile you've ever seen her wear. "Has Plumeria always been so into music?" you ask Guzma.

"Plumes? Oh yeah, she was always the one in charge of music for these things. She's pretty good, right? She used to do some great mashups... but she kinda stopped after a while. This is the first she's done this kinda thing in forever."

"Why'd she stop?"

Guzma looks down a bit, like he's considering what to say. "Being stuck here, well, a lot of people kinda got depressed. Things started to look pointless. They stopped doing things they loved. You should have seen all the sketches and architectural shit Liam used to do."

You remember Liam mentioning how he'd wanted to be an architect when he'd given you a tour. You watch Plumeria now, and if music makes her this happy, you're hoping Liam goes back to doing his thing too. You wonder what other grunts have given up because of the curse.

Guzma notices your pensiveness and takes your hand. "Hey, wanna go dance?"

"Oh I don't really - I haven't really ever - I don't know-" you stammer, going dancing wasn't ever something you'd done. Partying in general was a little outside your comfort zone. With having to care for your sister and all that entailed, there hadn't really been much opportunity to.

He laughs, giving your hand a squeeze. "It's not hard! If I can go jumping in puddles, you can dance."

Liam must have noticed your hesitance, as he's suddenly there with you and Guzma. "Boss, lady, you both are coming out here. That's enough dicking around!" Liam grabs each of you by the hand and drags you out to the dance floor with Ethan. You glance at Guzma, but he just smiles at you, playfully rolling his eyes at Liam.

You stand there awkwardly for a moment, watching Liam and Ethan continue their bobbing along with the music, feeling embarrassed and a little put on the spot. Then Guzma's behind you, placing his hands on your hips, gently guiding you, making you sway to the music.

"This alright?" he asks in your ear. Between his closeness to you, the hands on your hips, and his breath on your skin you feel like you're going to melt. He's so warm behind you and you can't fight the urge to press back into him. His touch makes you feel light and airy; almost dizzy. All you can manage to do is nod.

He continues to guide you, until you start to relax and get the hang of it, picking up the pace. Soon you blend in with Liam, Ethan, and the rest of the grunts on the dance floor, all dancing to the music under the team skull spotlight shining down. The party begins to turn into a blur of music, lights, smiles, and Guzma's surprisingly gently touch on you. You feel completely adrift on a wave of happiness and excitement.

The music changes a bit to something a little slower, and the two of you are now facing each other.

"Might not be runnin' around in the rain," he says, "but you having fun?"

You laugh and put your hands on his shoulders as his move back to your hips. "Most I've had in a while."

He gives you a bright smile that makes you feel a little weak. You really were getting swept up in all of this. "Good." He looks around the room a bit and chuckles, like he's remembered something.

"What?" you ask him.

"Oh, uh, nothing. My parents forced me to take ballroom dancing when I was younger. Even had the instructor come to us. Lessons were in this very hall and I hated every minute of it. Still remember how to though."

"You're joking."

"I swear I'm not!" he laughs.

"Big Bad Wolf can ballroom dance?"

"Is it that hard to believe?"

"Well, you're not really the picture of grace and sophistication."

He huffs. "Nah, more like destruction in human form."

"Something like that."

He pauses a moment before smirking at you. "Ya wanna see?"

"What? You're the one who took lessons. I-" He takes one of your hands while the other stays on your hip, and begins leading you around the floor in big gallant sweeps that take you a second to catch up with.

His face is a giant sarcastic grin. "Told you!"

You can't help but laugh as you fall into step with him. "This isn't exactly the music to go with this."

"Eh, so we make it work," he says, suddenly twirling you around. He pulls you back towards him. "Might work out pretty well. You never know."

"You talking about the music or yourself?"

"Hey, why not both!"

You continue to dance around the room, Guzma leading you. You vaguely notice that the grunts are clearing the floor to watch the two of you, but your moment of self-consciousness vanishes when your eyes meet his. He holds your gaze and smiles that charming half-smile of his that almost makes you stagger. The rest of the room and the audience you have feel like they're melting away. Both of you laugh as you step about. It's absolutely ridiculous but you can't help but give in to the moment. Right now, there's no one but the two of you.

The music comes to a close, leaving you to sway to a stop. He gently pulls you into him, eyes not leaving yours. There's a moment that feels like an eternity where you just stay like that. Then you decide that this time, there would be no "almost." You wrap your arms around his neck and stand on tiptoe, finally placing your lips on his. He brings you up toward him, hands on your back, responding just as eagerly, deepening the kiss between you. It feels as if you're on fire with all the anticipation you've both had for this. Everything within you is sparks and tingles, egging you onward as you cling to him.

All the grunts around you absolutely erupt in cheers, claps, hoots, and whistles. You feel him smiling into the kiss as you laugh a bit, but neither of you breaks from the other yet, content to stay in this moment a little longer.

* * *

Afterwards, the two of you leave the dance floor, hand-in-hand. You rush Guzma a bit, still laughing, but feeling a little embarrassed from all the attention. You're lightheaded with happiness.

He turns you toward him. "Hey, is it alright if we go talk for a bit? Somewhere quieter?"

You're not sure what he has in mind, but with all the excitement, you're feeling bold. You wouldn't mind being alone with him for a while. "Yeah, your room is sounding pretty good right now."

His eyes widen a bit and then his face splits into a mischievous grin. "Hey, sounds good to me too."

You quietly make your exit from the dining hall toward the double doors. On your way, you see Liam and Ethan sitting together holding hands. Liam looks up as you pass and he finger guns at Guzma saying, "Eyyy boss!"

Guzma smirks at him, flipping him off before you're both out the doors.

The hallways are empty with all the grunts distracted with the party. Guzma leads you by the hand through the mansion and up the stairs. At the top, you trip a bit and he catches you. You take the opportunity to pull him down into another long kiss. Now that that threshold has been crossed, it feels impossible not to keep pushing boundaries. You no longer feel you have to suppress or deny your attraction to him, so all you want is to get as close as you can. Your hands find their way into his soft hair, your fingers running through the strands. He gives a slight moan and you can't help but laugh. "You like that? You're not gonna start kicking your leg are you?"

He chuckles and pulls you flush to him. "Nah, you'll have to find the spot that makes me do that." Then his mouth is on yours again as you slowly continue your way to his room.

It takes far longer than it should to get there, with the pauses for feverish kisses and increasingly braver hands exploring each other. You're in a darkened, windowless hallway when he pushes you up against the wall, arms boxing you in, and his gray, lustful eyes on yours. It's quiet for a moment, with nothing but the sound of both of you breathing heavy. His hand brush across your forehead, sweeping strands of hair behind your ear before moving to your chin to tilt your head up towards him. He kisses you deeply, his tongue pressing into your mouth. You meet his tongue with yours, your hands clutching at his back.

His mouth leaves your lips and he begins to kiss and suck at your neck, drawing a whimper out of you. He keeps going down until he reaches the neckline of the dress. His fingers run under one of the straps on your shoulder, playing with it. "Let's -let's get to your room so we can just take it off," you manage to pant out. It was hard to think straight, much less talk with his hands and mouth on you. The growing warmth between your legs is begging for attention.

Guzma sweeps you up into another ravenous kiss before continuing to lead you onward. "You got it, princess."

You finally make it to his room, and when the door closes behind you, you eagerly pull him over to his bed, making him laugh a bit as he follows, both of you kicking off your shoes. Feeling emboldened behind closed doors, you straddle him as he sits on the bed, leaning down to kiss him. His hands are back on your shoulders, under the straps again. You reach behind yourself, feeling for the zipper, which you can just barely manage to get down without needing help.

He begins to slide the straps down your shoulders when he pauses to ask, "This - this ok?"

"Yeah, very," you nod and he gently removes the straps from you, pulling the the dress down until your breasts are in front of him. Your position on him puts them just at face level, so he puts his hands behind you, pulling you towards him. The feel of his hands on your bare back makes you shiver as it sends tingles up to your skull, but it's nothing compared to when his face is pressed against your front as he starts kissing his way from your collarbone and down to the curve of your breast. Your breath hitches, and you run your fingers through his hair, biting your lip.

He takes his time exploring with lips and tongue around your breasts before finally coming to your nipples. By this point you'd been anticipating it so much that you moan when he runs his tongue over one of them. His hands run up and down your back, making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. He licks and sucks at your nipples, making you dizzy with desire as your hands thread through his hair. He begins drawing circles with his tongue around the hardened nipple in front of him and it feels like it's sending sparks straight down between your legs. You let out another moan.

He pulls his mouth from your chest a bit and says, "God, I'm glad you came here," against your skin, and then looks up at your face.

You huff. "Against all odds, I'm glad I came here too."

He lifts you off his lap, and maneuvers so that you're laying on the bed and he's over you. He fixes you with a sincere stare. "This - this isn't about the curse you know."

You blink, surprised that he's bringing this up now.

"Even without it, I'd still - You're still - Fuck, I'm not good at this," he stammers looking away a moment before meeting your gaze again. "You are... amazing and your being here has made me incredibly happy, and that's got nothin' to do with trying to get out of this place. We could be anywhere and I'd still feel the same way. I just didn't want you to think, well, you know."

You smile up at him, finding the way he's trying so damn hard incredibly irresistible. "It's ok," you tell him. "I'd like you even if you weren't the cursed leader of a gang in a town I've heard fairy tales about," you can't help laughing as you say it.

He grins down at you. "Hey, I just wanted you to know I'm being genuine!"

"You wanna keep being mushy, Big Bad Wolf, or are you gonna let me huff, puff, and blow you."

He laughs heartily and then bends down to catch your lips in a fervent kiss.

He helps you wriggle the rest of the way out of the dress, and you help him out of the button up and shirt in return. You run your hands along his chest and through the hair you find there, unable to keep your hands off the newly exposed skin. He leans back over you, coaxing you into laying on the bed again, as he returns to kissing you, one of his hands cupping a breast and running his thumb over a nipple. He plays with it until he has you moaning again and then his hands begin to travel lower, gently passing down your sides until he's got a couple fingers playing with the edge of your panties.

He looks up at you questioningly and you nod, giving him the ok to remove them. Now that he's got you completely naked, he grins at you in a way that you can only call "wolfish." Something about it makes you ache even further with desire. His mouth is back on your nipples, as he runs a hand down your inner thigh. It comes to rest between your legs and you spread them instinctively. His finger slips between the folds, feeling around in the wetness, making you gasp.

He pauses sucking and licking at your nipples just long enough to tell you, "You are so wet, doll."

All you can do is pant out "uh huh," as his fingers find your clit and begin circling it. Between that and what his mouth is doing to your breasts, you're downright dizzy. You moan and it seems to egg him on. He carefully inserts one finger than two, pulling them in and out as you feel an intensity building within you, getting lost in the feel of his touches.

He slows his motions teasingly, and your hips buck against his hand, trying to reach the same sensation again. When he removes his hand, you sigh in frustration.

He laughs a bit, and then he's moving lower on you, hands slipping down your thighs. You sit up on your elbows look at him surprised, as he places your legs on either of his shoulders. He looks at you from between your legs with such intense eyes and a wicked smile as he asks you, "You want this?"

You nod quickly.

He kisses down your inner thighs for a moment, eyes never leaving yours. "Let me hear it," he says and continues edging his mouth closer to the wetness, driving you mad.

"Please," you whimper.

He finally moves his face between your legs, his tongue darting out and exploring, licking from the lowest part of your entrance to the top, pushing gently and finding your clit. You gasp as he continuously runs his tongue around it, resisting the urge to press your hips further into his face. When he latches around your clit and begins to suck you can't help crying out. His hands grip harder around your thighs, pulling you towards him and spreading your legs further. He's got you coming undone under his tongue. You can't remember the last time anything felt this good.

There's a new sensation as he sticks his tongue into you, flicking it around, and you close your thighs around his head, your hands in his hair, biting your lip. He presses further into you a moment longer before returning to your clit. You can feel orgasm building, and when it happens you gasp again and moan, fingers curling in his hair, thighs clenched around his head, and his hands holding your thighs in place.

You're still panting when he comes up smirking at you and wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "That alright?" he asks.

"Yeah, yeah," you tell him trying to catch your breath and feeling a little anxious to return the favor. You lie there a moment recovering and thinking, a bit blissed out. Never in a million years would you have thought your coming to Po Town would wind up like this. For as much as you were unsure of him at first, Guzma had turned out to be so much more than you'd thought. You realize that he really could be someone you could fall for - maybe you were already starting to fall for him. The curse and trying to break it had felt like too much pressure and responsibility before, but when you look at him now, as he leans over you and plants a loving kiss on your lips, you think that maybe breaking the curse might just be the easiest thing in the world.

You sit up and to his surprise - and delight - begin unbuttoning his pants, wishing you hadn't let him keep them on even this long. He helps you get rid of the jeans, and then you're pulling at his boxers with your fingertips until you reveal his erection. You don't waste time, taking it in your hands, pumping up and down a few times before pressing the head to your mouth.

"Shit!" Guzma curses.

You smile then slowly lower yourself further down on him, earning a "shit, shit, fuck." You go as low as you can, which is, unfortunately, not all that low, as he's rather big, and come back up, running your tongue along him as you do. You keep your movements slow and teasing for now. When you reach the top, you pay careful attention to the head, slowly dragging your tongue around it and Guzma moans.

Since you can't take him all the way in without gagging, you use your hand to take care of the rest. You finally pick up speed and he falls backwards on the bed, a hand over his forehead, biting his lip. You work this way for a while, swirling your tongue around the head each time you come up, enjoy the sounds you're dragging out of him and watching his fingers twist around the bed sheets.

You pick up speed best you can, but then he's stopping you with a hand on your shoulder, breathing heavy and saying, "Hold on, hold on, wait. I'm gonna - Don't you wanna?"

You pull off of him and wipe your mouth, realizing what he means. He immediately pulls you toward him, catching you in a deep kiss. He brushes strands of hair behind your ear and settles you on the bed, then he moves between your legs.

He watches your face as he gently pushes inside. You're already so wet that it's easy for him to do. He thrusts a couple times cautiously, and your hands move up to his hair. When he picks up the pace a bit, you can't help rutting your hips up into his, moaning.

He moves your legs around his waist and you use them to pull him closer, the added depth letting him hit something inside you that's bringing you closer to the edge. When he reaches down to rub your clit in time with his thrusts your back arches and you cry out his name without really meaning to. This sets that wicked grin back on his face and he moves harder within you.

He leans in towards you as he continues. "Say it again, doll, say my name. I wanna hear how much you like it," he pants.

You can only moan in response as he bottoms out within you. You can feel yourself start to clench around him, which seems to set him over the edge, so now it's him that's moaning. A couple more flicks of your clit and you're coming too, hands clawing at his back and saying his name one final time.

He smiles as you yell it out, then places his forehead on your shoulder, slumping a bit, exhausted. For a moment you both stay there, coming down from it all, before he places one more kiss on you before rising to clean up.

* * *

You're both still in the bed later, the party downstairs long forgotten about. You've got fresh clothes on, and you've been sitting there in his room for a while just talking and laughing. You yawn then, and so does he. He checks his watch for the time, telling you, "Still got a few hours before sundown if you wanna nap here."

You lean into him and he wraps an arm around you. You're already enjoying the newfound closeness between the two of you more than you'd ever care to admit out loud. "A nap sounds amazing."

As you lay together, with his arm over yours, one of his legs between yours, and your back pressed against him, you realize how melancholy it is that the two of you can't actually spend a night together. Not really anyway. Closest you would get for now is daytime naps like this one.

Guzma's breathing evens as he falls asleep. Your eyes are growing heavy from exhaustion, and you drift off contemplating the curse and hoping it can be broken in time.


	13. Positively Primeval

Garret wasn't worried. It would all work itself out with minimal effort on his part, just as everything does. And in the meantime, there was her fridge to raid and her little sister to listen to his tales of victory. Sure, she may have been gone a while, but she'd be back. No need to panic.

No, Garret was not that concerned. That is, until Alana suggested that maybe the reason she was gone so long was that someone else was taking her from him. Now that, he could not have.

She'd left him in charge of watching Alana after riding off to retrieve her lost Yungoos. But what did he know about watching kids? Absolutely nothing, so he just let her do whatever she pleased. You wanna stay out late? knock yourself out, kid. You want to eat pizza for dinner multiple nights in a row? Shit, kid, me too. You don't want to do dishes? Tell you what, neither me or you are doing them and we aren't taking the trash out either. Not our problem. When she gets back, she'll take care of it all. All we gotta do is wait.

His leniency seems to have earned him the teenager's favor too, as far as he can tell. So what do you know! Turns out he's a natural at this whole kid thing. Of course he was. How could he not be? No one can babysit like Garret.

Without her around, he'd tell Alana of his battles and winnings at the Pokemon League. It was good to be champ and have everyone so anxious to hear your stories.

But then one night Alana says, "Ugh, enough. No more talking for you. Now it's my turn."

Garret sneers at her. "You think you'll have anything more interesting to say then what I'm telling you now?"

"I could go outside, talk to the first pokemon I find, and have a more interesting conversation than any I've had with you."

Garret laughs. "Now that's - that's quite the joke there. Both funny and factually untrue."

Alana groans and fixes him with a serious look. "It's been long enough. When are you going to go after my sister."

"Kid, we don't go to Po Town. She'll be back soon."

"Everyone keeps saying that, but maybe this time we have to go to Po Town. I can't go. I'm not going back by myself after last time. You're her... boyfriend-sorta-thing, you should go."

Garret shakes his finger at her. "Nuh uh, we have never made it official, so I have no responsibility here. Now what should we order for dinner? More pizza? How do you feel about malasadas?"

Alana crosses her arms, sighing in frustration. "Why, exactly, is it not official anyway?"

"Gotta keep my options open," says Garret, putting his hands behind his head, leaning back on the couch, and placing his feet on the coffee table. "As you know, I am the champion, so I can't settle down just yet. As far as Tapu Village, your sis is the prettiest girl here, so she's good enough. But what if someone better comes along, huh? So you see, this is best. That way there's no messy breakup and I'm not responsible for any tears or hurt feelings. Genius right?" He taps a finger to his head. "You just gotta think about these things."

"Wow," says Alana. "How romantic."

Garret chuckles. "Hey, your sis will go with it because you can't do better than me."

"What if she does find someone better than you?"

"You know, you're pretty funny for a tiny human child. You got some jokes, that's for sure."

"I'm serious. Maybe that's why she's been gone so long. Maybe she's gonna break the curse."

"Aw, kid," he says with a dismissive wave of his hands. "Those are just stories."

"They aren't, I saw the beasts!"

"Sure, sure."

"If they're just stories, then how come no one will go to Po Town?"

"Because we don't." He points a finger at her. "You gotta be careful now. Questioning how things are will bring you nothing but trouble, you know."

"I think maybe she made it inside. I think maybe she's getting to know Team Skull's leader."

Garret shakes his head. "I think maybe you've had too much caffeine. How many bottles of soda have we gone through?"

"You're just scared. And lazy. And I bet you, you're gonna lose my sister for it."

"Kid, if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that your sister's mine."

* * *

But ever since that conversation, it was like a tiny seed of doubt had been planted in his mind. With each day that goes on, it begins to grow and twist, poking at him, taunting him, and slowly filling him with anger at the idea that she might have the nerve to leave him. Sure, he might find someone else - he was the champion after all and who knew what other options would come his way. But her? She was no one, just some pretty girl in some town. He was the best she would ever have, and the idea that she could find someone better was not only ludicrous, it was maddening.

So he decides, fine, he will go see. He will stop by Po Town before he goes to the League for the day. As champ, nothing could scare him there anyway, right? Maybe it was indeed time to go to Po Town.

* * *

He flies over on a Charizard one morning and is surprised to see movement within the town. He wasn't sure what he expected, maybe that the town would be abandoned, but that doesn't seem to be the case. He cautiously has the Charizard fly lower, trying to avoid detection.

There's a man with blue hair, a white beanie, a black tank top, and black shorts. As Garret watches, the man mills about for a while, and then goes into the giant mansion at the far end of the town. It's difficult in the rain, but he brings the Charizard lower until it lands less gracefully then he hoped on the building's roof, scrapping away some tiles from it in the process. He waits to see if anything happens, but nothing does. He's not sure how many people are inside, but they don't seem to have noticed the noise he's made so far.

He tells the Charizard to stay quiet and hidden as he dismounts from it and digs around in his pocket for a pokeball. He calls out his Parasect and it scrambles on the roof a moment before finding its footing. The plan was this: he'd have Parasect use a combination of moves like string shot and grass knot to allow him to rappel down the building to look in windows and move about. Should anyone notice him, they would be hit with stun spore, allowing him to make his escape. Another completely genius Garret plan, as usual.

He starts his sleuthing around, finding many of the rooms holding either no one, or more people dressed like the man he'd seen earlier. One room strangely contains what looks like a throne, but nothing else interesting inside. He goes down to the lower level, which seems to be more populated. In the first room he looks in down there, a pink haired woman nearly spots him, but he ducks out of the way just in time, or so he hopes. He's flat against the building beside the window. It's a tense few moments as he waits to see if anything will happen, but nothing does.

Room after room hold only what he can assume are the members of Team Skull, which was surprising to see, but he sure wouldn't describe them as beasts. That kid sure had an imagination. How did the story about this place go anyway? It'd been so long since he'd even thought much about it. But for as much as Team Skull seems to exist, he sees no sign of the person he'd come looking for.

He comes to a window looking in on a kitchen, though all the equipment in it looks unused. He's still inspecting what he can from the window, when doors inside open. He quickly hides away before he can see who's come into the room. He waits a moment, trying to decide if it's safe to look or not. It's then that he hears a voice - her voice. "Tapu Cocoa is probably my favorite drink!"

Immediately he looks back into the window, and there she is. She's dressed in clothes similar to the rest of Team Skull, and holding a cup of cocoa while smiling and laughing up at some guy. Some guy wearing a hoodie and the oddest sunglasses he's ever seen. Tapu cocoa is her favorite? Wasn't it coffee, like him? There's a coil of rage and jealousy that snakes its way through his stomach, but he shoos it away, telling it that whoever this wannabe gangster is, he's clearly no competition. No reason to think he's lost her yet, right?

He watches them talk and laugh, and then they leave. He has his Parasect pull him back up to the roof, where he paces, thinking. Well, at the very least he could tell her sister that she was indeed fine, so those annoying questions would be stopped. But what to make of what he just saw? He needed to see more, but there's not much time right now. He decides to come back that afternoon.

* * *

His visits to Po Town become obsession. He goes nearly every morning and most afternoons. Garret wasn't used to rejection, not in the slightest. He had looks, his family had money, and he had dumb luck, and these things got him through most everything. Not that he would acknowledge that these things were what had made life easy for him. No, if you were to ask Garret, he would tell you he had worked hard and deserved all he had. Even though they had been what allowed him to go to the best trainer schools in Alola, to stay in the best hotels while taking the island challenge, and to receive the best professional advice and guidance while traveling the islands with ease. He couldn't see that these things had given him a leg up on the competition when it came to seeking the championship. And while he was indeed a talented trainer who had been able to retain his title for a long time, he was far from humble or grateful to anyone who had helped him along the way. With so many people giving his behavior passes, he never had reason to change. And with so many things always going his way, he couldn't understand why this should be any different.

In fact, he was downright perplexed by it. His peeks within the mansion grew more and more like a study; it was a rare occurrence that he had to better understand so he could prevent it from ever happening again. He had considered barging in and just putting a stop to the whole thing, tearing apart the situation before it induced anymore rage in him, but he just couldn't. He would one day, and he knew that, but in the meantime he had to figure out just what was going on between her and this punk with white hair. It was like strategizing in a pokemon battle: he had to analyze the opponent and learn weaknesses before finally destroying them. Because more than anything else, Garret always got what he wanted, and what he wanted now, was to reclaim what was his in any way that would cause his competition the most harm.

So he waited and watched, catching glimpses of the two of them talking, laughing, walking together, and getting closer. Each interaction he sees feeds the indignant creature growing inside him.

There was a giant round window in the upper east side of the building that was the most interesting, as it contained an assortment of old things, family portraits, and other relics. The most significant thing in the room was a very old and tired looking Comfey, that he notes is checked on several times each day. He remembers then that it's the Comfey in the story who dictates the amount of time left for the curse to be broken. If the curse is real, that would be why this one is so safeguarded. Good to know where that is then.

It's in this room that he sees the two of them talking one day. The punk seems upset about something, and when he's done telling her whatever sad story he's told her, she moves toward him and holds him for what feels like an eternity. But the real breaking point comes later. The point where he's seen enough.

They're talking in that room that has a throne, when she suddenly holds his hand. He moves closer to her and now he's brushing her hair behind her ear. Their faces are so close to each other.

He leaves before he can see them presumably kiss. He'd seen enough, and now it was time to plan what he would do.

Of course, all his spying had not always gone to plan. He knows he had been spotted a couple times. Once, one of the blue haired male grunts had even caught him in a window upon waking up, and looked him directly in the eye. He scrambled away from the window, and took off on the Charizard as fast as his panicked mind and body would let him. He'd even had to stun spore a couple others on another occasion when they were close to discovering him. Things hadn't gone perfectly, but he hopes none of it went wrong enough that they would see him coming. Garret adds being stealthy to his long list of skills.

* * *

He had never stayed till nightfall, despite the numerous times her little sister told him that he should. "Need my beauty sleep," he had told her. "I'm not staying out in those parts that late."

"But you're absolutely missing it!" she yelled at him. He had to admit Alana was a bit of an annoyance when she was talking. She begged to hear details of what he'd seen everyday, and he told her, even if reliving the events felt like it made him twice as angry. But with at least confirmation that her sister was alive and well, Alana had become more calm and less whiny.

"Kid, you've just got too much of an imagination. There's no beasts there. Just people."

"Then what do you think the curse is?"

Garret shrugs. "They can't leave and are forced to wear ridiculous clothing?"

"And they become beasts at night!"

"So you admit the clothing is ridiculous."

Alana grimaces at him, gives a frustrated groan, and storms away.

Garret could believe a lot of things about this situation, but he wasn't about to believe the ramblings of a thirteen-year-old hopped up on sugar.

And yet.

Say there were beasts in Po Town at night, how would that affect his plans? Could it possibly even be used to his advantage? Yes, he decides, that might just make things work out even better. Fine, just a small glance around to see what he finds.

* * *

He circles high up in the night sky to avoid being noticed. He tells the Charizard to cautiously descend, unsure of what he'll find now that Po Town is dark. The pokemon alights on a part of the gate surrounding the town, but Garret can see no one from his surveying point.

Under cover of darkness, he's feeling more daring, so he tells the Charizard to land on the ground within the gate. The pokemon hesitates, but does as it's told, dropping to the soft, wet ground below, a safe distance from the mansion. After dismount, Garret looks around with his hands on his hips. Just as he thought, nothing out of the usual. Beasts? What beasts? Of course that part hadn't been true. At least outside the mansion, there was nothing prowling Po Town at night.

He looks up at the mansion, considering sneaking over to it, when he hears what sounds almost like a bark coming from within. He squints, and notices how tore up the door to the mansion seems. Then the door is moving and opening, and what he sees knocks every bit of arrogance from him, if only for a moment.

Midnight form Lycanrocs - beasts - are pouring out of the door. They're running about in the rain, looking almost playful. Until some of them see him. There's barking and howling and a sea of glowing red eyes are looking in his direction.

He struggles back onto the Charizard telling it to "Go! Go! GO!" as the pack of pokemon come for him. The Charizard takes off, it's large wings beating back a few of the Lycanrocs as they start to surround it. Garret thinks they've completely made their escape when the pokemon lifts off the ground, but then it's crying out in pain. It continues its wobbly ascension into the air, fighting to stabilize itself.

They're above the gates now and the Charizard is still having an absolute fit. Garret twists around in the seat and looks below him, trying to find the problem. He glances around wildly though the wind and rain and then he sees it: there's a Lycanroc clamped onto one of the Charizard's legs.

They're heading out beyond the gate now, the Charizard still flying clumsily as it kicks its leg, trying to shake off its attacker. "Get off! Get the fuck off!" Garret screams at the Lycanroc. It snarls back in response. Between the weather and uneven flying, Garret nearly loses his grip on the saddle.

They're flying further away from Po Town and suddenly the Lycanroc is whimpering. Garret looks again to see that large cuts have randomly appeared on its head and body. As he watches, another long gash appears on its snout. What was this? Could this be the curse? Was this what happens when they leave? Is this why they can't leave?

Whatever was happening, this beast was still dragging his escape down. As carefully as can, Garret swings his leg over so that both are on the same side of the saddle. He leans down as far as he dares too, his knuckles white from their tight grip on the saddle, then he reels back his foot and kicks the Lycanroc square in the face.

It finally lets go and falls as Garret hustles back into a proper sitting position on the Charizard. He watches it hit the ground and writhe in pain, it's desperate howls just barely making it to his ears above the rain and wind. Then the next moment the Lycanroc is out of sight and he's on his way back to Tapu Village.

So it was all true then? All of it? Even the beasts? Well, at least that part's only true at night. Garret's jealous and frantic mind turns. How does this affect things then? How should he do this? First, he'll get her away during the day, then he'd see about the beasts that come out when the sun goes down. No one plots revenge like Garret.


	14. But It's Not Enough

They were in the reading room trying to figure out a way for Guzma to hold a book with his claws. There were many failed attempts and laughs, and though he eventually got the holding part down, turning a page proved to be an even more difficult challenge. They gave up, and instead she offered to read aloud to him. This had come complete with whatever voices she could muster and dramatic waving of her hand. He's watching her now, as he sits in his night form with his legs out across the couch. She's sitting on the arm of the piece of furniture, book in hand, and barely able to contain her laughter at her own ridiculousness.

He gives her a toothy grin. The closeness between them had also brought out a certain degree of silliness. The times since the party had been some of the happiest he's ever experienced. What had felt like an invisible barrier between them has disappeared. No longer was there a hesitation and longing when it came to thoughts of holding her, kissing her - and more. Now that was freely acted upon, with every insecurity and worry of rejection gone. They'd spend nights talking, reading, occasionally going outside, and finding other ways to entertain themselves until the daytime, when, perhaps, too much time was spent in his room.

He tries not to think of breaking the curse, because it isn't about that. Truly it isn't, and he acknowledges that it might be too late for that anyhow. By this point Comfey only has a few petals on her - a secret that still only the two of them, and Liam and Plumeria know. How long does it take love to grow? Probably more time than he has, so better to not think of it and just enjoy what's left. And if the grunts get a morale boost from seeing the two of them together, then maybe that was ok too, even if it is a bit of a lie by omission. But why should they not also be happy in what little time they have? This is the least he could do after being the reason they're trapped here.

And so while he feels a bit torn emotionally - caught up in the happiness their budding relationship is bringing, and the despair of knowing it'll soon come to a close when the last petal falls - he's determined to show his best happy face to everyone around him and savor the joy that he can find in the time being. He can't imagine she'll want to stick around when Comfey's gone. Who would? It would just be her, and him as a monster, surrounded by Lycanrocs and unable to leave forever and at every moment. Hell, if it came down to it, he wouldn't let her stay even if she wanted to. She deserved to experience the freedom that he would eternally be denied. He wanted her to be able to live her life, even if he couldn't live his. Because - well, because he was falling for her, and at least he got the chance to do so, even if it all seemed to be happening too late. The Big Bad Wolf had certainly come a long way. If only it had happened sooner.

There's barking and scratching at the door, putting a pause in her reading. When the voices multiply and start to become a mournful chorus of howls and whimpers, she lowers her book and the two of them make for the exit. From the sounds of things, something had gone horribly wrong.

"What? What is it?" Guzma asks the pokemon anxiously crowding the hallway. The pack begins to lead them away, out of the reading room, through the mansion, and outside. They don't stop at the gate, in fact they go as far as the edge of the barrier and are all looking off in the same direction, their sad barks and whimpers still creating a confusing mess of sound. Guzma peers through the rain and darkness, trying to make out what has upset them all.

There, far beyond the barrier, is the body of a Lycanroc. Even with his eyes enhanced in this form, he can only just barely make it out from here, and from the confused look on her face, she can't see it at all.

"What happened?!" Guzma finds himself yelling, though he knows they can't answer.

"What is it?" she asks.

"There's someone - one of us - way out there! They're too far! We won't get there without dying. They might already be dead." From the lack of movement and just how far out the body is, Guzma knows that "maybe" is almost certainly a "definitely." Panic and guilt rise up his spine. Every death this place had every brought had always felt like his fault; another dark mark in his list of wrongs.

She's calling out her Mudsdale now, saying, "I'll go get them."

Guzma's glancing around for the pack of Araquanid, but the coast seems clear. He doesn't want her to go, in case they show up, but what choice does he have? She's the only one who would make it out that far. "Alright just - just be quick. If something goes wrong, we might not be able to get to you."

And then she's off out toward the body. He never takes his eyes from her, squinting into the distance, doing his best to keep her in sight despite the rain and haze. He watches her dismount from the horse, kneeling to inspect the body and then recoiling a bit. Whoever it was, was dead. He's hit with another wave of panic when he realizes that he doesn't know who it is that's out there.

She tells her Mudsdale to kneel, and visibly struggles getting the body onto her pokemon. It takes a few minuets, but after she succeeds, she's leading her pokemon back to them, body in tow. Guzma nervously watches along with the pack. The sooner she got back, the better.

She makes it to them, and looks at Guzma, shaking her head. He approaches the horse, gently removing the cold and lifeless body from its back. Whoever it was, was long gone. He places them on the ground, inspecting the wounds and trying to get his bearings on the situation.

Now, back inside the barrier the body appeared to be changing back into human form - death had freed them of the curse. Guzma holds his breath, knowing that the loss of anyone within the mansion would greatly sting. How could it not after all the years they'd spent together?

When the transformation is complete, he finds himself looking at the face of the male grunt who'd approached him at the party. The one who'd told him he spotted a human within the town. His mind runs wild with shock and remorse. Had this somehow been the work of the human he had tried to warn him about? He couldn't know for sure until morning when the grunts would be able to explain.

One of the Lycanrocs beside him starts to howl. It's a grievous, sorrowful sound, and one he's heard on a few occasions before. Several grunts had died over the years, and the ones who died at night always got this treatment. There was some instinct within the grunts in this form that they would give in to when it came to mourning the fallen. More of the Lycanrocs join the howl.

They stand there outside Po Town as the voices of Team Skull fill the air.

* * *

After morning finally does come, Plumeria and Liam explain what happened. So, that afternoon, Guzma has them all gathered in the dining hall, which is now back to its usual look and utility after the party. Because of the years they've all spent trapped here, everyone within Team Skull knows one another. However, much like how he, Plumeria, and Ethan had formed a trio, there were still cliques and friend groups within the team. There were couples, and drama, and those who got along, and those who didn't. There's a group gathered at one of the tables that the unfortunate grunt from last night was obviously a part of. Though everyone within the dining hall is as somber as the weather outside, none were more upset than this table.

Plumeria is the one to give a comforting speech to the gathered grunts - something he had never been good at. While she talks, Guzma sits, elbows on his knees, and his chin resting on steepled fingers. Wave after wave of regret had been attacking him since he was told, yes, it had been a human, and yes, it had been the one they tried to warn him about. He had dismissed it and now someone was dead. And he feels utterly responsible. How could he have come so far and yet still have so far to go? Why hadn't he listened? What was wrong with him?

There's a hand on his knee, and he looks over to see her concerned face. This was probably the most sorrow she's seen out of everyone since arriving here. He doesn't know if she's been here long enough to really appreciate that the sadness comes not just from death, but from the knowledge that that death came without even a taste of freedom one last time. The grunt had died a prisoner of Po Town. It's a reminder that they all might go that way, should the aging process start again when Comfey's gone. He takes her hand, giving it a small squeeze, before sighing and rising to his feet. Now to decide what to do about this human should he return.

"It's time to crack down," Guzma tells them. "We'll take turns being on guard in shifts. If you see anything you report it straight to-"

The doors to the dining hall crash open to reveal Liam, wide-eyed and alarmed. "Eyy boss! We've got him! We've got the guy."

Guzma's stunned. Already? When he had placed Liam and two other grunts on guard duty for the first shift, he didn't think anything would come of it so soon.

There's murmurs coming from each table, and chairs are squeaking as every eye turns to see the human walking in, flanked by the two other grunts.

He's a tall guy with a muscular build and sleek, dark hair. His features are undeniably handsome, even with the somewhat smug look on his face. Guzma had spent enough time in the company of the wealthy to know that his clothing and the way he carries himself screams "money."

A couple of grunts from the table mourning the loss of their friend stand, chairs flying backward, ready to pounce on the newcomer.

Guzma's about to tell them to stand down when the chair next him moves as she gets to her feet and says, "Garret?" And everything screeches to a halt in that moment.

He turns to her. "You - you know him?"

Before she can answer, this Garret person's eyes light up when he fixes them on her. Then he breaks away from the grunts, coming toward her, saying, "My god, there you are! You're alive!"

Instinctively, Guzma steps in front of her when he reaches them.

She puts her arm on his. "It's alright. Yeah, yeah I know him." She moves in front of him, and Garret suddenly sweeps her up into the air, planting a kiss on her lips.

Guzma blinks, fists balling as a combination of confusion, shock, and anger hit him.

She pushes against Garret, separating herself from him as he puts her down. "Garret! What are you-"

"We have to get back! Now!" Garret interrupts her.

Go back? "Who is this?" Guzma asks her. She looks flustered with both men talking to her.

"I'm her boyfriend," Garret answers.

It's like a small bomb has been dropped inside his brain. Hurt and betrayal well up within him. Here it is: the other shoe he knew would inevitably drop. He was a fool for starting to believe that he'd been wrong about that. "Boyfriend, huh?"

"What? That's not - he's not-" she starts.

Garret won't let anyone get a word in. "And champion of Alola."

"Garret! What is-"

He turns his attention from Guzma back to her. "We have to go! Your sister's sick!"

"Alana? What - what's wrong?"

"She's very sick; she might not make it! We need to go now!"

"You're not going anywhere!" Guzma yells. "You killed someone!" There's shouts of agreement from the grunts.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Garret moves closer to Guzma. "Maybe you shouldn't have had your damn mutts attack me!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have trespassed!" The two of them look ready to come to blows, nearly screaming in each others face.

"I was trying to get to her! To tell her about her sister!"

"You've been sneaking around here!"

"Looking for her!"

Both of them have fists raised, eyes locked, prepared to fight. The grunts are in an uproar throughout the dining hall. Liam and Plumeria have come to stand on either side of him, ready to join the scuffle should it start.

Then she's between both of them, pushing them apart yelling, "Stop! Just stop!"

Garret takes the opportunity to grab her arm and start pulling her towards the doors. "She's right, there's no time!"

Grunts get up and step into their path, blocking their exit.

"You're not leaving," Guzma says coldly, crossing his arms.

Garret turns and glares at him. "Then she'll have you to blame when she can't even tell her sister goodbye."

Guzma's shoulders slack a bit.

"Alana is dying," Garret says, his grip on her arm not relaxing.

Hearing it said so plainly amidst all the commotion seems to make his words hit home for her. Tears begin to slide down her cheeks, making Guzma resolve slip further away from him.

Garret continues, his voice softer now; sincere. "There isn't much time left."

She looks at him tearfully. "Guzma, please."

He finds himself remembering his mother and how illness had taken her away as well. He relives how it felt like a gaping wound had been torn through him to not be able to tell her goodbye one last time. His arms fall to his side. "Go."

There's cries of disagreement from the grunts.

"Boss!" Liam says next to him.

"Just go." Guzma says again, meeting her eyes.

"I'll come back," she tells him, nearly a whisper and barely able to get the words out before Garret's again saying how deathly ill Alana is and that they need to leave immediately. He watches her tear streaked face turn from him as the two of them leave the dining hall.

The double doors swing close behind them, and she's gone.

* * *

Afterward he'd ordered everyone out of the dining hall, unable to deal with their shocked and accusatory stares. Plumeria and Liam had attempted to stay, and in his frustration he'd told them, "You two too!" with more anger than he'd intended.

He stands alone in the room now, staring out at the empty chairs and tables. There's several emotions fighting their way to surface within him, each competing for dominance. He hadn't even had time to process last night's death and now this? How could things have gone so completely wrong in just a matter of hours?

He scratches at the back of his head, then pulls out a chair and plops down in it, slouching. Boyfriend. She had a fucking boyfriend. The goddamn champion of Alola no less. And yet she'd started this with him. Why? Was it all just - just a game then? He sits forward, elbows on his knees, and puts his face in his hands. Of course it was. He expected the curse still had a low chance of being broken, but he hadn't thought it'd be for this reason. Because as much as this wasn't about the curse, and as much as he tried to deny it to himself, he knows, deep down, he did have some small hope that maybe, just maybe they'd be able to break it in time. That everyone would finally be free from the prison he put them in. That he wouldn't live out the rest of his days essentially alone.

He'd fallen for her and he had let her go. He'd learned to love someone else, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't love him back while she was preoccupied with someone else.

He'd been stupid. Stupid about all of it. He knew from the start better than to get his hopes up. He knew this would end badly. Didn't everything for him?

He wonders what to do now. Does he tell the rest of the team about Comfey? Let them know how close they are to running out of time? He needed something to drink; something to think over. He rises from the chair and goes to the kitchen.

Guzma stands in front of the cupboard, and closes it, thinking of his favorite drink... remembering that it was hers too. When he opens the door again, he groans at what he finds. There's his cup of Tapu Cocoa - only with a large amount of whipped cream on top. He picks it up, and stares at it. How many times had they drank this stuff together? How often had they flirtingly teased one another over how they preferred it? It would always remind him of her now.

Tears start to blur his vision as he continues to gaze at the cup. It shakes slightly in his hand. This was all too much too soon; too many things crashing down in one fell swoop. And all that's left, is this stupid cup of cocoa. It's over now. It's all over and he'd gotten so close. His breathing becomes more labored as frustration grows in him again. He throws the cup and it shatters, leaving behind a brown splotch, and whipped cream that's slowly slipping down the wall. He rubs at his eyes, feeling embarrassed, even though there is no one else there.

He slams the cupboard shut with such force that it bounces back open to reveal yet another cup of cocoa with whipped cream. He leaves it there, storming off. Maybe this called for something stronger to drink anyway.

* * *

Guzma's sitting in the round window of the far east room, bottle in hand, and Comfey sitting on his lap. It has exactly two petals left and no more. He isn't drunk, but simply tipsy, the alcohol not helping his swirling thoughts nearly as much as he hoped.

There's a knock at the door, and he already knows who it is. Liam and Plumeria were never far behind if they thought he was in need. They are better friends than he ever deserved. He tells them they can come in.

"You ok, G?" Plumeria asks, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Guzma sighs. "Eh, I'll live, I just won't like it."

"Hey, that's the spirit, boss!" Liam tells him, sitting on one side of him while Plumeria sits on the other.

Plumeria looks wearily at the pokemon on his lap.

"Yeah," he tells her. "We're just about out of time here."

"She might come back."

Guzma laughs ruefully. "I don't think so, Plumes."

"She said she would."

"Yeah, maybe if she weren't already involved with pretty boy champion, right?"

Liam scratches at his ear. "See, this is why feelings are bullshit."

Plumeria cocks an eyebrow at him. "You say this after making progress with Ethan?"

"Been thinkin' about putting a stop to that anyway."

They're both looking at him now. "What?" Guzma asks him. "He's been damn near all you've talked about for how long and you're gonna end it?"

"But you get why now, dontcha, boss?"

Guzma just stares at him, confused.

"You get how it ends now. None of this - all these feelings and shit - it never goes well. Didn't before for me, didn't for you now, and it won't for me with Ethan. Guaranteed."

"Liam, what?" Plumeria says.

"You don't even do the whole relationships thing, Plumes. You don't get it."

"I get it just fine," she tells him. "Did you ever think that maybe it doesn't work out because you've already decided it'll fail? Ever hear of a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

Liam looks away from her, out the window.

Guzma nudges him. "Don't do something stupid just because things aren't great right now."

"We could say the same thing to you," Plumeria says, taking the bottle from Guzma's hand.

"What, I wasn't gonna get wasted or nothin'"

"Even so," she looks at Comfey. "Don't be checked out on us for what's left."

Liam glances to the pokemon, and then to the petals that are on the ground underneath them. "Guess it would be stupid to end things now, huh?"

Plumeria nods, giving him a thankful smile for coming around on that subject.

Guzma heaves a huge sigh. "I'm sorry, you guys." It was something he had said to the two of them in particular numerous times. His guilt felt like a mountain he carried on his back and now, with the last petals falling, it felt like it was suffocating him. Time was just about out, and he had failed them.

"Nah, boss," Liam tells him, throwing an arm around him. "Don't be. It's gonna be ok."

Plumeria weaves an arm around his back as well. "G, even if she doesn't come back, we'll be here. Even as Lycanrocs, we'll be here. We've got you."

Guzma huffs, wiping at the tears he feels gathering in his eyes again. "Thanks, guys."

The three of them sit together in the round window, watching the rain fall, and waiting for sundown.


	15. Screw Your Courage to the Sticking Place

You'd tried to question Garret more outside of Shady House, but he'd only given cryptic half-answers and rushed you onto the ride Charizard he called. In the air, the wind was rushing by too loudly to make conversation, leaving you able to consult with only your panicked thoughts. You turn in the seat that's barely big enough for the both of you, and keep an eye on Po Town for as long as you can. Then it's gone in the distance as you and Garret fly off in the afternoon sun.

What had happened with Alana? Could it really be as serious as Garret claims? Was your only sister really dying? You can't bare the thought of that, especially with having been away for so long. How long had it been? You had totally lost track. You feel like you could have spent forever in Po town if it meant being with Guzma and the rest of Team Skull.

And yet you also cannot set aside the crushing guilt you're feeling. You shouldn't have stayed away as long as you did. But every time you'd thought about going back, you'd keep telling yourself "soon" and put it off longer and longer. It'd been so easy to give into the temptation to stay, especially when you'd decided that you wanted to try to break the curse, if you could. You hadn't mentioned that to Guzma or anyone, for fear of failing in your task, but you so hoped that it would have been possible. But now? It was hard to think about that when Alana's life is in peril.

You feel as if you were so close to it too. You'd let your guard down as much as you dared since the party and became even closer to him. Without whatever wall there had been between the two of you, it was like sunlight had finally been allowed in, and in that light some deeper emotion grew. It'd all been going so well until last night. Until Garret - damn it, Garret. You realize then what a disaster that scene in the dining hall was, and you remember the things that were said - the things you didn't correct, like Garret calling himself your boyfriend. Your heart sinks when you think about what Guzma must be thinking. Did he believe that? Does he think you led him on this whole time? If so, so much for breaking the curse.

Why had Garret said that anyway? The two of you had never made it official, and he'd been fairly clear about that. You'd accepted it that way, because you were so unsure about him. In a lot of ways it felt more like begrudging friends with benefits than anything even close to what had been going on with Guzma. With all that's happened since you'd been gone, it feels like an arrangement an entirely different you agreed to. And the you that you are now, is no longer ok with it. When this is all settled, you'd make sure Garret knows that, and you'd make sure Guzma knows how you felt about him.

If it's not too late.

You're a bit confused when the Charizard is landing at your house. If Alana is that ill, shouldn't she be in a hospital or something? You dismount, looking at Garret, but he won't meet your eyes. You leave him there as the pokemon takes off, and run to the door, throwing it open.

But there's Alana, sitting on the couch watching TV and looking perfectly fine. Maybe even a little more than fine by the looks of things. There's pizza boxes and take out remains scattered all over the living room. She's got her feet up on the coffee table - something that had never been allowed. She's got a donut in one hand, and large bottle of soda in the other, that she drops when she turns and sees you. She says your name.

You grip the door frame to support yourself, tears of relief, confusion, and anger welling in your eyes as your mind starts to put the pieces together. "Are you - are you alright?" You choke out to her, feeling as if your legs will give out from underneath you.

Alana says nothing, but gets to her feet, a plate of donuts falling from her lap, and runs to you.

You catch her in your arms as she meets you, and sob into her hair. You hold her tight to you, afraid that if you don't then this won't be real; that she won't be ok.

She lets you continue to hug her a moment, and then she's pushing against you saying, "You're crushing me!"

You finally let her go, wiping tears from your face, "You're ok?"

She gives you a skeptical look. "Yeah, of course I'm ok. Are you? You got my Yungoos?"

You reach into your pocket and hand her the pokeball you'd been holding onto for her, still feeling shaken. "I thought that - Garret said that you were sick."

Alana looks as if you've just suddenly started to speak another language. "No, no I'm not sick."

You knew what had happened from the moment you'd seen her on the couch, but the verbal confirmation finally makes it feel as if a switch has been flipped within you. You wheel around to face Garret, feeling absolutely on fire from the rage in your belly. It shoots up your spine to your skull, making you sure you could throw a boulder - or perhaps the tall, dark-haired asshole in front of you. "You lied? You lied to me about this? About my sister? Garret, what the fuck?"

He hardly looks remorseful. He regards your fury with a bored expression, shrugging his shoulders. "I only did what I had to to get you out of there."

"I never asked you to rescue me."

"Little too busy to do that?"

What was this? Was he jealous? "How long were you spying on the place?"

"Long enough, emdoll/em." He spits the last word venomously at you.

You feel violated now. How much had he seen and heard? "You really think doing all of this would win me back?"

"Win you back? You'd choose that punk over me? Some guy who turns into a literal monster at night?"

"He's not the monster, Garret, you are." And it was true. Garret had never been a particularly compassionate person, but it was clear that in the time you'd be gone, his jealousy and entitlement had twisted him. Like he was finally throwing the fit that had always been just below the surface now that he wasn't getting what he wanted for once.

"Really? Well, we'll see what the neighbors think." He fishes in his pocket, pulling out a pokeball, and then his Incineroar is next to him.

"What?" You take a step back.

He gestures to the sky. "Sun's about set so your friends will be turning soon, right? A town full of people? Nobody around here's going to march on that. But a town full of beasts? Dangerous monsters threatening them, their children, and all they hold dear? Well, we better put a stop to that before something bad happens. Gotta get to them before they get to us."

You reach for a pokeball and pull one out, but Garret's too fast. He grabs your wrist, hard, and wrestles the ball out of your grasp. "Don't worry," he says, lifting your arm into the air, dragging you toward him. "This time I'm going to Po Town while you stay here. I'll make sure your new friend dies like the beast he is." He reaches into your pocket and removes the rest of your pokemon, then nods to his Incineroar. "Take them to the basement and don't let them leave."

You struggle with all you've got, but the giant cat pokemon picks up both you and Alana, and carries you into the house. It doesn't stop until it's set you down in the basement. It starts back up the stairs, and you try to follow, but it turns around and lets out a roar in your face, stopping you. It snarls and turns, quickly covering the rest of the stairway before slamming the door behind it. There's crashing and scrapping sounds, and then everything is quiet.

You immediately run up and try the door, only to find all the commotion had been the pokemon blocking the door with whatever it could. It roars again at the jiggling door handle and you realize that it's staying. It's going to guard you and ensure you don't escape.

You dash back down the stairs, looking around and hoping for a way out. But the basement has no windows or other openings. There's no clear exits that you can see. You toss around boxes and piles of old belongings, searching for something, anything, to help the situation, but there's nothing useful. You stand, shoulders heaving, wide-eyed, and frantic, desperate for an answer out of this, but you come up empty. Your breathing slows, and you sit on the bottom stair, the realization that you are trapped taking your ability to stay on your feet.

This is your fault. Garret's going to lead an attack on Po Town, and it's your fault. If you hadn't stayed so long, if you hadn't gone in the first place, if you'd had nothing to do with Garret... You sigh, looking at the ground, and then Alana's two shoes step into your view. You look up at her and are surprised to find that she's smiling at you, looking very intrigued.

She sits next to you saying, "So you really did it, huh?"

You give a small laugh. "You're not - you're not mad at me?"

Alana shuffles her feet. "I mean, you being gone kinda sucked, but Garret let me do whatever I wanted, which was cool."

"I guessed that from all the trash upstairs," you say, rolling your eyes.

"I haven't seen a vegetable in forever."

You put a exasperated hand to your forehead. "Well, leaving Garret in charge was not one of my better ideas."

Alana laughs and kicks her feet out in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. "Man, what did you ever see in that guy anyway?"

You shake your head. "I don't even know. It all seemed fine at the time. People around here thought we were, you know, actually together and everything. I thought it would make them back off a bit if they thought I was with the champion. That I'd finally look like maybe I was doing something right."

"I'm sorry," Alana says next to you slumping a bit. "I know people say bad things because of me."

You nudge her gently with your shoulder, feeling remorse that she had picked up on the fact that neighbors thought you weren't doing the best job raising her. You wish you had been able to shield her from that. "No, Alana, it's not your fault. People were always gonna talk no matter what. Nothing we could have done, so we might as well not worry about it, right?"

"But you were worried about it a lot," she says, looking at you dubiously. "You just said all that stuff about Garret."

You bring your knees to your chest, "Yeah, well, I should have never started that in the first place. I think it's pretty obvious now that we were both using each other. Not sure how much having him around really helped anyway. Certainly isn't helping now."

"Do you still care then? About what everyone here thinks?"

You smile. "After all that I've seen, I can't imagine how some gossipy neighbors could matter much."

"So you really did do it? You know Team Skull's boss?"

"I thought you were afraid of them," you huff.

"I was," she tells you, picking at the chipping polish on her fingernails. "That night was really scary, but they didn't hurt any of us. And then when Garret would tell me stuff about them, I wasn't so scared anymore. And it was pretty awesome that you were finally doing something besides reading a book for once."

You laugh. "Well, actually, I did a lot of reading there too."

"That figures. So. What's he like? Do you like him? You're gonna break the curse, right?"

"I-" you start, suddenly feeling very awkward at having to talk about this with your younger sister.

Alana gasps. "You do like him, don't you! Please tell me we're gonna live in Po Town now!"

Your eyebrows furrow, but you're amused. Your sister always could be a bit too excitable and a little confusing. At least she wasn't angry with you. "You'd be ok with moving to a cursed town, huh?"

"I mean, the rain kinda sucks, and it kinda sucks that they took my Yungoos, but at least I got it back."

Everything within you suddenly pauses. "Wait. What?"

Alana takes the Pokeball out of her pocket. "Yungoos. They gave it ba - Garret never took it!" she says, having the same realization you did.

You stand up, elated that you might just have a way out of this. "Ok. Ok so, if we can get Yungoos up there, we can get him to distract Incineroar."

"But, wasn't there stuff in front of the door?"

You put a hand to your chin, thinking. There had been a decent amount of weight in front of the door. You hadn't been able to move it when you tried. "We've got to get Incineroar to move it somehow."

"Screaming, gotcha," Alana says.

"Worth a try!" You smile at her. You know she's got quite the set of lungs when she's upset. She'd spent a good amount of her younger and brattier years proving that. Then your face falls. "But we can't get to Po Town in time without a ride pager. We don't have one, and Garret's probably going to take everyone in town that does with him."

"Well, actually," says Alana.

You turn towards her and she looks a bit sheepish.

"You know how Adam's brother failed the island challenge? I mean, he wasn't using the ride pager anymore, so we decided to borrow it. That's how we got to Po Town. I never gave it back. It's in my room."

You bring your sister into a huge hug and she pushes against you, protesting. "No, no, you're gonna crush me again."

"Alana, you've completely saved us!"

"You're happy I took someone's shit?"

"Don't say 'shit,'" you tell her, letting her go.

"Garret let me say 'shit.'"

"Yeah, well, Garret's an asshole."

"Can I call him an asshole?"

"That I think I'll allow. Now get out your Yungoos."

* * *

You stand off to the side of the stairs, Alana's Yungoos doing figure eights around your feet. You feel a little bad that you hadn't let him out more while you were in Po Town. He's excited and absolutely raring to go. Just gotta get that door open. You look at Alana, meeting her gaze, and nod.

She inhales deeply and lets out a painfully sharp and horrendously loud shrill shriek. She holds it for longer than you'd expected, and as her face grows red with the effort, there's a returning roar from the Incineroar upstairs.

Alana just grows more determined, inhaling and screaming again, and though you thought it impossible, she's somehow louder.

There's more roars upstairs and you realize the two are now in a screaming competition. Every time Incineroar gets closer to the door or roars at an increasing volume, Alana's voice becomes more piercing. You cover your ears, shielding them against the noise that, between the two of them, is starting to scramble your brain. You hope it has the same effect on the pokemon upstairs.

There's an enraged roar and what sounds like the giant cat smacking away items. You can hear them scrapping floors and hitting walls above you. Then the basement door swings open, flying off its hinges and there's Incineroar silhouetted in the doorway, fur standing on end. It lets out one last deafening roar at Alana and she points up the staircase.

Like a hairy brown rocket the Yungoos leaves your legs and shoots up the stairs, escaping between Incineroar's legs and into the house. Immediately it turns and chases the creature all about your home that is far too small for the pokemon's frame. You can already hear the sounds of things breaking and crashing above you. But there's no time to stress over the further mess your childhood home would be in. You and Alana scramble up the stairs and out of the basement.

You frantically sneak around the house, trying to avoid the Incineroar's wild gaze. You pull Alana out of the way as the couch suddenly comes flying in your direction. It'd been knocked aside to get to the Yungoos that had been hiding underneath. You use it as cover to make your way to the stairs leading to the top floor and the bedrooms.

You quietly and quickly crawl up the stairs as the house continues to be torn apart, Yungoos clearly giving Incineroar hell if its roars of frustration are any indication. Then you're down the hall and throwing open the door to Alana's room, where she starts sifting through her belongings, saying, "Where is it?"

You realize with horror that she doesn't know where the ride pager is, and join her in tossing around whatever you can in a mad search for it. You don't know how much time you have. How long would the Incineroar be interested in Yungoos? How long could Yungoos keep this up?

"Got it!" Alana suddenly yells, holding the pager aloft and jamming the button down. There's a loud thump in the stairwell and skittering on the stairs. Both Pokemon are heading up towards you. You see the Yungoos run by, and then the Incineroar comes into view. It stops, and turns towards the both of you.

It looks shocked for a moment, then furious. You quickly slam the door in its face and lock it, knowing that won't hold it for long at all. You usher Alana to the window and the both of you are out of it. First you, then Alana right after, climbing down the rain gutter the way you had when you were younger, and the way Alana had on that night she'd gone to Po Town.

You hear the bedroom door burst open within the room above you.

The ride Charizard appears and lands gracefully below you at the bottom of the gutter. You shimmy your way down and onto the pokemon, looking back for Alana, only to realize she's stopped halfway down the gutter.

"Alana! Keep going!"

"My Yungoos!" she yells to you. "I can't leave him!"

Incineroar's head pops out of the window, it's claws curling around the edge. It looks all around, and then down. It roars in anger and frustration when it sees the two of you, grabbing the rain gutter, and ripping it away from the side of the building.

Alana screams, holding on desperately to the now wavering gutter.

"Go up! Go up!" you yell to the Charizard. It begins an awkward accent, the closeness of the building making it difficult for the pokemon.

Incineroar shakes the gutter and you watch as Alana's hands slip away from it. She free falls for a moment, flailing, and you scramble in the seat moving to catch her. You only manage to catch one hand, as her other clutches the saddle, her body making a bit of a slapping sound as she hits the side of the Charizard, causing it to roll on its side in the air slightly from the new, unexpected weight. You hold tight to your seat and Alana, pulling her on the pokemon while it rights itself.

Then she's in the seat behind you yelling for her Yungoos. Incineroar tries to jump out of the window, but it's too broad, and it bounces backward. It snarls at the two of you, as you continue to rise on the Charizard. It's still got its eyes fixed on you when Yungoos swiftly bounces on it's head and out the window towards you both. He sails the distance between the window and you, Incineroar snapping and clawing at him.

Yungoos lands safely in Alana's arms as you rise ever higher, and then off into the direction of Po Town, watching as Incineroars's outraged, frenzied face grows smaller and disappears.

You hold tight to the Charizard, wind whipping past you, hoping you're not too late. For everything.


	16. When the Last Petal Falls

Garret's leading the charge at the head of the pack of Charizards flying through the darkening sky on the way to Po Town. Every last person from Tapu Village who possessed a ride pager had joined him, and each pokemon was carrying two people. Between them and all the pokemon they've brought, he hopes it's enough to take down Team Skull.

His impassioned speech to the villagers had gone by in a blur. At this point it feels like he can barely even register what he said. It didn't matter. He'd say whatever it took to get what he wanted, and in this case that meant saying whatever lies would scare the village most. "A whole pack of them! Vicious, wild things!" Garret had yelled. "I've seen them! Nearly killed me and maimed the Charizard I was with."

He's so animated and rabid as he soapboxes that it's a miracle he's not foaming at the mouth. All the noise and excitement had brought out every nosy neighbor. People were knocking on doors and beckoning others to join the growing crowd. After all, who doesn't want to see Garret, champion of Alola and pride of Tapu Village, give a speech? Who wouldn't believe the local golden boy? He was champion for a reason, right? So if he says it, they will listen. "How many of you have children on the island challenge?" He had asked them.

There's many murmurs from the numerous parents.

"What happens should they go too close? Don't you remember that night three of our kids went there and came back crying and frightened? We cannot allow this threat on our island. On our children!"

The crowd is growing louder and more restless. If you want to inspire quick action, one of the best ways to do it is to show someone that their most vulnerable and precious are in danger. That was something this village full of families could never resist.

"I know; we've all heard the stories. 'We don't go to Po Town.' Well, I'm here to tell you that our inaction will lead to tragedy. That pack just keeps getting bigger and more bold. How long till someone is killed? We can't wait on this!"

Now some are starting to shout in agreement.

"We can't wait for bureaucracy and authority to handle this. If they were any good they would have already done it. We nip this in the bud before the pack spreads! Before anyone dies! We take them out now!"

More voices join the yells and cheers. Garret's speech is a siren song to them, making them call for blood.

"Will you stand up for your home, your family, and your island? Are you with me?"

"Yes!" they tell him. The crowd has nearly become one in anger, fear, and righteousness.

"Then get your ride pagers, take with you who you can! Kill the beasts!"

Tapu Village goes wild as Charizards begin to descend from the sky.

It wasn't long before Po Town was within their view.

* * *

Guzma, Liam, and Plumeria are still sitting in the round window staring out at the sunset. From the look of Comfey, it might well be the last one they see as humans. She looks so rough. It had been a while now since she had been active at all, but now she barely moves. She doesn't seem to have the strength to do so anymore. Guzma pets her tiny head, trying to comfort her. He'd always had such mixed feelings on this particular pokemon. The resentment he occasionally bared wasn't her fault; she couldn't help what her existence represented. She was a living hourglass who's life counted down the moments till theirs was changed permanently.

"You see that?" says Liam, his eyes squinting into the distance.

Guzma looks up from the weakened Comfey. Shadows were on the horizon in the twilight. It takes a moment to realize that they're Charizards - a whole flock of them heading towards Po Town.

"What the hell?" Plumeria mumbles, confused.

They draw closer and there on the back of the Charizard leading the way, is Garret. A cold dread spreads throughout Guzma. "I don't think this is gonna be a friendly visit."

The three of them stand, Guzma placing Comfey gently down.

Guzma removes his jacket saying, "Get everyone ready to defend the mansion."

Liam and Plumeria leave the room as Guzma continues to disrobe. The sun sets, triggering the transformation.

Another petal falls from Comfey, leaving her with just one.

Charizards are landing within the gates of Po Town as Guzma stands out on the balcony. He watches as people dismount and call out their pokemon, many of them gasping, pointing, and murmuring when they see him. In the mansion below him, Lycanrocs are taking position in the lobby should anyone try to enter. Things had happened so quickly that there hadn't been time to do things like reinforce the door. So they wait, like guard dogs ready to pounce.

Guzma spots Garret approaching the mansion and pulls his lips back into a snarl as rage seeps into him. Why this? Hadn't he already won?

Garret points to him and addresses the crowd. "You see! And there's more inside. They've made a den in the mansion!"

"Go back home!" Guzma roars at them. There's more gasps at the revelation that the beast can speak. "We don't want to fight you. There's no reason for this. Leave."

"No reason?" Garret says, "You kidnapped someone from our village. Your mutts attacked children. And me!"

Guzma is silent for a moment. These things were technically true, but not in the way Garret presented them. "Don't get it twisted. That's not how it went down."

"Nothing twisted here other than you and your pack of wolves. This ends tonight! It ends now!" Garret rushes the door, bringing people and pokemon with him. There are some who seem shaken that Guzma is capable of speech, hesitating and milling about as their friends and neighbors head for the mansion's entrance. But when the door comes crashing in, they cautiously join the fray.

Guzma curses. He never was good at giving speeches or anything close to that and this was no different. He doesn't want to fight; that part was true. But what choice do they have? They can't leave and now these villagers are attacking their only home. His stomach turns at the thought of taking any casualties from this. He finds himself to blame once again for the trouble that's been brought to Po Town and Team Skull.

But he can't sit around feeling sorry for himself now. If he survives the night, there would be plenty of time for that later. He turns back into the mansion, heading for the stairs and steeling himself for what he'll see. He can already hear the cries, crashing, and chaos coming from down below.

But "chaos" feels like too soft a word now that he's taking it in. All around the bottom of the mansion Lycanrocs are fighting the pokemon of the villagers. But these are not fights until fainting; they're fights to the death. The humans egg their pokemon on viciously. Some are even two on one Lycanroc. Shady House had not been in the best shape for a long time, but now it's being torn apart in the numerous battles.

It's a confusing, horrible mess of claws, teeth, limbs, and elemental attacks. Guzma ducks out of the way of a burst of fire that nearly hits him. There's an electric wave from a Raichu that causes the lights to flicker, casting a strobing effect on the struggle below the stairs. Growls, roars, and cries of pain fill every ear. All he can do is stare in horror and disbelief at the violence taking up the entirety of the downstairs.

emWhere is Garret?/em He's strangely missing after leading the angry villagers inside. Guzma moves further down the stairs, looking all around for Garret in the uncoordinated free-for-all. A Growlithe comes charging at him, but he catches it within his massive canine-like jaws and hurls the snarling, snapping pokemon over the railing of the stairs. He hasn't even regained his barrings from that attack when a Marowak is suddenly on him, catching him in the stomach with the bone it's wielding. He's about to retaliate when one of the Lycanrocs steps in, taking its attention off Guzma.

He catches movement from the corner of his eye up the stairs, back where he came from. He turns and finally finds Garret.

The fur on his back bristles and his teeth become bared. He must have slipped past him while he was distracted. But why? Where was he going? Garret gives him a menacing smile and shouts, "Now!"

There's noise above him and he looks up to see the massive chandelier crashing down. He raises his arms in a vain attempt to protect himself as it falls on him, knocking the wind out of him and pinning him to the ground. A Scyther buzzes away from the ceiling where the chandelier once hung.

Guzma winces, painfully trying to push the downed fixture off of himself. He'd taken a hard fall, but he was relatively unhurt. Where was Garret going? He couldn't possibly know about-

Comfey. He's going for Comfey. Guzma struggles harder in his panic, kicking his legs and pawing at the object pinning him until he's wriggled his way out from underneath it. He gets to his feet unsteadily at first, several parts of him aching from the chandelier, then he's back up the stairs after Garret, leaving the villagers and Team Skull in their mortal battles.

Guzma tears through the mansion, heading for the far east room, but he sees no sign of Garret along the way. In the hallway leading to the room, he notices there's more glass than usual. The other busted mirror had finally fallen out of its frame. In a rage he had punched both mirrors years and years ago, but only one had actually shattered while the other had simply dented and cracked. If Garret's in there, it must have broke when he threw open the door. He slowly approaches the handle, paw outstretched, carefully avoiding the new pieces on the floor.

He opens it to find the room just as he left it, with Comfey still sitting peacefully near the window. Outside the storm has grown the worst it's been in a long time. Wind howls and lightening strikes so vibrant that it lights up Po Town bright as day for a split second. Thunder booms and echos throughout the mansion. He approaches Comfey heaving a sigh of relief that Garret didn't seem able to find the room. He's about to pick her up when something outside catches his eye. There's another Charizard making it's way haphazardly through the storm and coming for the balcony of the mansion.

He watches it struggle in the dangerous weather trying to get a look at the rider in the rain. Who had arrived this late to the party? It alights on the balcony railing and in a flash of lightening he sees who's aboard. He can't believe it. It's her! She came back! She looks frantic and worried. There's a younger girl that he can only guess is Alana sitting behind her. Had he gotten things wrong? Garret clearly wasn't above manipulation. Had she possibly come back for Guzma? His chest lightens a bit at the thought; a small ray of hope suddenly returning.

Then there's a sharp, horrendous pain in his side. A piercing agony that makes him roar in surprise and drop to his knees, clutching at the new wound. He pulls his paw away and looks at it, his breathing labored. It's covered in his blood. He tries to turn to find his attacker, and as he does, he's hit again in the stomach. He yelps in pain, and looks up to see Garret above him, holding a long bloody shard of the broken mirror. His own hand is cut from grasping it, streaks of blood trailing down his arms. His dark hair is slick with sweat and sticks to the sides of his face in an odd way, making the disgusted grimace he has that much more pronounced.

Garret sneers down at his panting and damaged form. "Aww, what's the matter?" he taunts him. "Get your little beasty heart broken? Did you really think she was gonna choose you when she had someone like me?"

As Garret talks, Guzma slowly wraps a paw around the leg of a chair.

"Look at you! Can't even get up and fight!"

Guzma tosses the chair at him full force. Garret stumbles, raising his arms as the chair hits, the legs of it cracking and splintering around him. Guzma roars and launches himself at Garret, but he quickly recovers from the chair and is brandishing the shard in front of himself. It buries into Guzma's chest as the two meet.

It's a wound even worse than the two before it, but Guzma manages to stay on his feet. He slowly pulls the shard from himself and tosses it aside. It's hard to breath, and he knows he's bleeding so much.

Garret's standing and watching him, waiting for his next move. Guzma takes a step toward him, raspily telling him, "Leave! Take everyone and go! We don't have to do this!"

But Garret doesn't leave. He doesn't even break eye contact with Guzma - until he goes for the bag of golf clubs, yanking out one of them. He takes a swing at Guzma, but misses him as he narrowly ducks out of the way. Guzma stumbles backwards and falls as Garret strikes again, once more missing him, but shattering the frame of one of the remaining family portraits.

He advances on Guzma as he lies on the ground. "You see, beast, we do have to do this. Wanna know why?" He raises the club above his head as lighting strikes, glinting off the shiny silver and illuminating the blood running down it from his hands. There's an unhinged look in his eye. "Because you tried to take what's mine!"

Guzma is absolutely immobilized. It's as if it's suddenly years prior and he's out on the balcony with his father about to bring the club down on him. All he can do is stare wide-eyed and wait for the blow.

"Hey asshole!" It's a girl's voice that he hasn't heard before.

Garret stops and turns. Guzma looks and there she is. She's standing there with her sister who's got a Yungoos in her hands.

"Yeah, that's right, you, emasshole/em!" her sister yells, saying the last word with as much emphasis as she can muster. Then she drops the Yungoos.

The pokemon hisses and rushes straight for Garret. It scurries up his leg and bites at his neck and face as Garret stumbles about tripping and crashing into things, trying to remove the Pokemon.

She orders her sister to stay back and then rushes over to Guzma, kneeling down and looking panicked as Garret struggles around the room.

"You came back!" he gasps out to her.

"Told you I would! Can you stand?"

Before he can answer her, Garret tears the Yungoos from his neck with a scream of pain. The pokemon flails in his grasp, his mouth and claws wet with blood. Garret hurls him at the wall, and he hits with a loud, sickening thud, neck twisting at an odd angle, before crumpling into a lifeless heap on the floor.

Alana screams and runs to the Yungoos.

Garret turns on them, his arms, face, and neck covered in bleeding bites. "Guess I forgot about the fucking Yungoos."

She stands protectively over Guzma, hands clenched into fists.

Garret rolls his eyes. "Really?"

"Garret, stop!" she yells at him.

But he continues to advance.

Guzma's mind is running on overdrive piecing things together. He'd been wrong. He should have never doubted her. She really had come back for him and it hadn't all just been a game. He finds new strength in this knowledge. It's shaky at first, but he slowly gets to his feet. He can't stay down now when there's still this asshole to take care off. Lightening strikes again as he begins to growl. The both of them stare Garret down in the light, his hulking wolf-like frame standing behind her, red eyes glowing.

Garret regards them coldly. Nobody moves, waiting for one another to make a move. All that can be heard is Guzma's low growl, Alana's crying, and the thunder and rain outside.

Garret launches himself not at them, but at Comfey.

She breaks from Guzma, and grabs Comfey, holding the old pokemon to her chest, the last petal wavering dangerously. She stumbles out of Garrets reach. Guzma steps between them.

Garret circles them, wiping sweat and blood from his nose. "From the looks of that thing, your boyfriend here's gonna be a permanent attack dog soon. Hope you're into that."

There's blood running down in a steady streams from Guzma's wounds. He's becoming light headed and it's hard to stay upright. He falters on his feet. It's taking all his concentration just to stay conscious.

Garret laughs. "If he even lives that long." He picks up broken shard of mirror that had been discarded earlier, shifting it in his hands.

"Garret this is enough!" she says.

But Garret just glares at her. Then he suddenly moves, making the both of them jump, but instead of going for them, he tears Alana away from her deceased Yungoos, dragging her to her feet and holding her in front of him while the shard hovers over her throat.

She gasps. "Garret, don't!"

"Sorry, kid," he says to Alana. "I know we had a lot of fun while your sister was gone."

"If that's what you want to call it." Alana snaps at him, trying to pry his arm away from herself.

He ignores Alana and addresses her sister. "Put the Comfey down."

She looks apologetically at Guzma, tears forming in her eyes and slowly lowers the pokemon to the ground.

"Now get away from it."

She takes a couple steps back, tears silently falling down her cheeks as she grits her teeth at Garret. Guzma reaches out for her, wanting to reassure her, let her know it's ok, but the effort just makes him stumble.

Garret marches Alana towards the Comfey. He stares down at the elderly pokemon with its one petal just barely hanging on. Then he tosses Alana aside, and raises the shard in both hands preparing to bring it down.

Guzma tries again to reach for her. It's ok. It's... ok. His vision is growing fuzzy. She's so focused on Garret that she doesn't notice. She screams, "No!" and charges at Garret, away from Guzma's reach.

But Garret sees her coming and shifts focus, preparing to bury the shard into her. It glints in his bloody hands as he raises it above his head. The sight of it brings everything within Guzma back just for a moment. With all he's got left, he leaps towards Garret, reels back an arm, and smacks him sideways.

The force sends Garret flying bodily through the air. He hits the round window, shattering it, eyes wide, and screaming, one hand still desperately clinging to the shard of glass. Then he disappears from view as he falls into the night and storm outside and down to the ground below, his shrieking suddenly ending.

Guzma collapses.

Outside the storm seems to weaken, lightening no longer lighting up the sky and thunder ceasing its echos throughout the mansion. Charizards take flight, heading away from Po Town. The villagers were retreating.

The door opens as Lycanrocs appear in the room, anxious to make sure their boss is alright now that they're no longer engaged in battle.

Guzma can just barely make out their forms coming into the room. He sees Alana pick up the Comfey and hold it to her, avoiding looking at her fallen Yungoos. There's the gentle pitter patter of rain dripping into the room through the shattered window. The wind makes the curtains lazily sway.

There's a hand holding his paw and she comes into focus above him. "Hey, doll," he tells her, voice just above a whisper.

He feels her tears falling on his fur. "It's gonna be ok. You'll be alright! You just gotta heal and-"

"Don't - don't think I'm making it out of this one."

"Just hold on! Don't leave," she sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!"

He shakily raises his other paw and brushes her hair behind her ear. "No, no it's not." His breathing is so shallow. He feels as if he's starting to drift away. All the pain and struggle of the night seem so far off now. But all he can feel in that moment is grateful that she had come back. That she'd ever come to Po Town at all. That at least he'd known her and loved her in the time that he had. "I'm just - just glad I got to see you... one last... time."

His paw falls back to his side and with a sigh, he's gone.

"Please, please don't go!" She falls onto him sobbing. "I love you." she whispers.

The last petal falls from the Comfey in Alana's hands. It drifts down and lands on his lifeless face.

Two Lycanrocs appear on either side of her and begin to howl.


	17. Song as Old as Rhyme

You lay sobbing on Guzma, feeling the warmth leaving him. He's gone. He's gone and it feels like something within you has completely broken. They're tears of terrible sadness and heartbreak, but also guilt. Guilt for all your presence brought to Po Town and guilt for failing to break the curse when you wanted to so badly.

The howls of all the Lycanrocs fill the air. But curiously, it's now the only sound that can be heard. You realize there's a certain noise missing as you rise from Guzma's body. You look out the shattered window.

The rain has stopped. For the first time since you've been there, the night sky is now clear and calm over Po Town.

The howls come to a close and you look to the two Lycanrocs on either side of you - likely Liam and Plumeria. "There's no rain," you tell them.

The two of them look at one another and then exchange glances with the other pokemon in the room.

"Look!" Alana yells. In her hands the Comfey is sprouting fresh blossoms and opening her eyes. Years seem to be reversing on the pokemon as she looks fresh, vibrant, and green.

Then there's something happening one by one to every grunt in the room. Fur is disappearing, teeth are shrinking, forms are changing.

"Alana, close your eyes!"

"What?! Why?" she whines.

"Just trust me on this one," you say.

Alana sighs and places a hand over her eyes as all the grunts around you go from being Lycanrocs to humans.

Liam's next to you looking at his hands that were paws just a moment ago. "But it's night!"

"The curse is broken," Plumeria murmurs.

"It is?" Alana yells. She removes her hand from her eyes only to have Plumeria's hand suddenly replace it.

The other grunts grow increasingly louder in disbelief and wonder as they realize the truth in what Plumeria has said.

But the celebration is cut short when Liam asks, "But... what about the boss?"

You turn back towards the body, waiting, hoping, silently begging. Please, please let there be one more miracle tonight.

Then it happens. Fur is replaced by skin, the large jaws shrink into a familiar face topped with white hair, and the paw you'd been holding now has fingers. The wounds seal themselves and heal, leaving no trace on his body.

The whole room waits. You hold your breath, not sure you can take being let down.

But there's no rise and fall of his chest. There's no movement at all. There's nothing.

Behind you some of the grunts begin to cry. Liam puts a hand on your shoulder. You feel a new wave of hurt and anguish coming over you, as tears slip from your eyes again. There would be no further miracles today. The two of you had managed to break the curse, but you could not save Guzma. He was gone and there would be no more to your story together. You remember seeing him walk into the dining hall for the first time as a human, and the way he looked panicked when his eyes met yours. How he cleaned his glasses while laying on the couch the morning after rushing out to rescue you. Him in his room as he recovered and how the two of you first started to get to know one another through conversations you had there. The reading room and the time you both spent there. Holding him after he told you how he came to be cursed. The whimsically out of place ballroom dancing and all the came after. The many, many cups of Tapu cocoa, and that charmingly crooked smile. It's all gone.

In the newly found tranquility of the night, the only sound is the gentle crying from those around you.

But then Guzma inhales sharply. You drop down beside him and his eyes open. He breathes in deeply over and over until it slows and he looks at you. He smiles. "Hey, why all the tears?"

He sits up and you throw your arms around him sobbing in relief. The grunts erupt into cheers. He holds you and looks around the room, putting together the night sky outside and the naked (but human) grunts and realizing what it means. He huffs in disbelief, "It's - it's broken." He looks as if he might cry too. "Holy shit."

"And you're all naked!" Alana yells. Plumeria places another hand over her eyes as Alana says, "What, I already know."

"Ah, yeah, that," Guzma says, looking at you. "Bit of a disadvantage, right?"

"More of an unexpected benefit," you smile.

He laughs and pulls you towards him, his lips meeting yours for a long kiss.

* * *

Garret's body was never found. In the spot where his body should have been, there were only the pokeballs he had taken from her before leaving Tapu Village. No one would ever see or hear from the missing Alolan champion again.

He comes to on a tiny island, much smaller than any others in the Alolan region. There's water visible in just about every direction. He stands, confused, and dusts the dirt from his clothes. How did he get here? He begins to explore, looking for anyone who might be able to explain things to him. But the island's so small it doesn't take long to cover it and find that there's no one. He'd run into absolutely nothing. Except many damn Exeggutor.

It begins to rain ferociously and he scrambles for cover in a tiny alcove. He sits, grumbling to himself about "damn beasts" and doing his best to fix his hair.

"Excuse me," a voice interrupts him. He stops and looks to find four kids. Two boys and two girls.

He watches them carefully and says, "What are you kids doing here? What is this place? How did I get here? You know anything?"

The four of them look at one another, shrugging. "It's Exeggutor Island, sir. That's all we know," says one of the boys.

"Figures," Garret spits, turning from them. Of course the kids were no help.

"Can we come in with you?" asks one of the girls. "We just got caught in the rain and it'd be nice to get out of it."

"Nope, nope, can't help you there kid. See this? This is Garret's hole. Go find your own."

The other girl removes her backpack and pulls out a pokeball, holding it out to Garret. "We'll give you this Comfey."

Garret laughs. "Do you even know who I am?"

The kids shake their heads.

"I," Garret continues, "just so happen to be the champion of Alola. I've got no use for your Comfey, so take it and go."

"Are you sure?" says the other girl.

"em Are you suuuuure?/em" Garret mocks her. "Yeah, I'm sure, so scram."

The four look at one another again, then back to Garret. He opens his mouth, about to tell them to "fuck off," but then each child becomes a beacon of blinding light. When the light recedes, it's not kids in front of him anymore, but the four Tapus.

"What the-"

But they seem to be reciting poetry now.

Boast all you want but no one will listen

For now this island will be your prison

To leave the land will bring you great pain

So here you'll stay through sun and rain

Here you'll be not apart from the crowd

You'll find yourself so heavily boughed

Grow as tall and leafy as you will

Yet you will find yourself unfulfilled

For none around you will know your words

And all your great deeds will be left unheard

You won't age a day as you lie in wait

For another to come and change your fate

Without title, without fame, without your wealth

You must learn to love another as you love yourself

Chase this task with all your power

You only have until the death of the flower

The ground suddenly becomes a long way from Garret as his neck elongates. His arms shrink into his sides and a tail sprouts out his back end. His head splits into three and his hair becomes large, green leaves.

When the Tapus are gone, he finds himself standing as an Exeggutor alone on the island in the rain. He hears a chime above him and looks up to just barely see the Comfey sitting perched on his main head. "Ha, big deal," he says and is startled when his words are said in his voice three times. "What?" And again there's three voices. The other two heads seem to speak whenever he speaks.

Garret smirks. "I've got my own curse to break? Fine, whatever. Easy. It'll be over and done with as soon as the next person that comes to this island. Guaranteed. No one makes people fall in love like Garret."

He stands defiant in the rain. But then his expression slowly falls. He'd been here about an hour and already he felt an absolute annoyance at the lack of ears to talk off.

He approaches another Exeggutor. "You, yes, you. As you can see, I'm one of you now. Can you understand me?"

But the pokemon just stares back at him dimly.

Garret tries to kick the Exeggutor, but his legs are so short and stumpy that instead he nearly falls. He gives up and stares out across the water that he can no longer touch without severe pain.

"Shit."

* * *

"Hey," Alana addresses him after they're all dressed and downstairs. Everyone is gathering what they wish to keep and crossing the border as a group. "Can I see your glasses?"

Guzma removes them from their perch on his forehead and hands them to her. "Sure, tiny."

She puts the lopsided glasses on her face and continues looking around the mansion. It's an absolute mess after all the fighting. Despite this, Alana still says, "We're all gonna live here now, yeah?"

"Would you believe I'd rather live anywhere but here?"

"But, it's a mansion."

"You try living here as long as I have and see if you feel the same way."

Alana pulls the sunglasses down under her eyes and looks at her sister. "Well, we can't go back home, can we? It's gonna be awkward with all the neighbors. You think that Incineroar is still there?"

She shrugs. "Dunno, but we could probably use a change of scenery anyway, huh? Get out of that old village."

"Where - where would you wanna go?" Guzma asks, rubbing at his undercut.

"Well, uh," she looks a bit sheepish. "You know there's this library in Malie City and-"

"Done!" he tells her.

"Wait, what?"

"Malie City. We'll get there and figure it all out."

"What, like, move there? I mean, I'm pretty sure I've lost both my jobs by this point. We're kinda broke."

He smiles at her. "Ya know the thing about being stuck in one place for so long, is that it makes it kinda hard to spend the money you inherited. Your boy's got you covered."

Alana cheers, the sunglasses that are far too big for her head wobbling on her face.

"I-" She's absolutely flabbergasted.

"You gonna need roommates, boss?" Liam asks.

Plumeria sighs. "You can't just invite yourself along, Liam... though it would be a good place to get back into music."

"I would miss you guys if you weren't around," she says smiling, coming around to the idea of a move to the city.

Guzma supposes that many of Team Skull are going to be displaced after this. They'd been stuck in Po Town so long and it's a different world now. There was a lot that they'd missed, and so much to catch up. Many of them would be starting over with nothing. The curse might be broken, but that was just step one to repairing everything. He might have been the reason the grunts were trapped, but he's got a few ideas for making up for it.

* * *

When they're ready, all of them leave Po Town and stop at the edge of the border - the place where their prison cell ended for so long. By this point it's morning, and the first time they've seen a sunny day since the curse fell on them. Guzma stands as the grass around them gently blows in the wind. He closes his eyes and breathes in deep, feeling full rays of sun on his skin. He hadn't ever been much of an outdoors person, but this, he missed. Looking around at the rest of the grunts and the relieved smiles they're wearing, maybe they all had.

This was it. He looks back at the gates behind them. He can see the highest part of the mansion peaking over the edge in the distance. Po Town held so many memories. Some good, but many bad. He turns back to the land out in front of him - ground he'd been unable to so much as walk on for so long. It was finally time to leave behind all the hurt, guilt, and anguish Shady House held.

She takes his hand and he smiles at her. It was time to build a new beginning.

He takes a deep breath and steps beyond the border.

And absolutely wondrously, nothing happens.

The entire group lets lose in whoops and cheers, running across the border. Some do cartwheels or chase each other about. Some just laugh or cry tears of freedom and happiness.

They travel further away from Po Town, out into a new Alola.

* * *

"You know, you've got to stir the pot, you can't just stare at it," you tell him.

Guzma huffs. "I know that, doll." He grabs a wooden spoon and begins stirring the contents of the pot on the stove, grinning sarcastically at you. "See, I got this!"

"You all would have never survived in that mansion without that cupboard. That's for sure," you tease him.

"I think I can handle making coco," he says, stirring a little too enthusiastically, causing milk to spill over the side and hiss as it hits the burner.

There's the sound of the apartment's front door opening. Alana appears in the kitchen, setting books and her backpack down on the table. "Cocoa again?" she says to Guzma. "Can't you two drink coffee like normal adults."

You shrug. "Eh, coffee's ok."

Guzma wrinkles his nose. "Coffee is disgusting, tiny."

Alana digs a pokeball out of her bag and releases Comfey out onto the table. You know it's not the same as her Yungoos, but you're glad that she had a new pokemon to ease the pain of losing her former one.

There's a knock at the door and you leave the kitchen to answer it.

Plumeria greets you with, "Hey, girlie," before looking for Guzma. When she reaches the kitchen, she tells him, "2B's flooding again, G."

"Well, shit." He switches off the stove and leaves with Plumeria.

Though he was technically now the owner of the apartment complex, he had named Plumeria the landlord. Each unit held members of Team Skull who'd had no where else to go after leaving Po Town. Many of them returned to school or found work, trying to rebuild after being absent from society for so long.

"You like your new job?" Alana asks as she begins on whatever homework she has spread in front of her.

"Definitely." You were Malie City library's newest librarian - a dream that you once felt was so out of reach.

* * *

That night you and Guzma head out into the city, leaving Alana, who insists she doesn't need a babysitter, on her own. You're not worried. Should anything go wrong, she could knock on just about any door in the apartment complex for help. It might not be the most conventional, but this child was definitely being raised by a village. Alana may not have a mother and father, but she had a family - even if that family was her sister, a former gang leader, and his gang. At the very least, it made for interesting stories at school.

You're both walking to the local venue that Plumeria's playing at. By day she might be a landlord, but at night she underwent a different kind of transformation. She and Ethan teamed up to put on music and light shows together. She handled music while Ethan's technical know-how let him put together lights and effects that grew more impressive with each gig they got.

"Is Liam coming tonight?" you ask Guzma.

"Not sure. I guess studying architecture leaves you pretty swamped."

Since coming Malie City, Liam had decided to finish his degree in architecture. His passion for it had set him apart from the other students, and he'd even earned himself an internship. Plus all the drawing it required had made him a proficient artist, which absolutely delighted Alana, who'd asked him to teach her. She often bugged both Liam and Ethan in her spare time, as they lived just a few doors down.

Living here was so different from Tapu Village. Gone were the disapproving comments and stares from nosy neighbors. No longer did you feel like such an outsider surrounded by perfect little families that looked nothing like the dwindled one you had. Now, you lived among a family of your own choosing - one you loved even with all its imperfections. One that you belonged to. Now, you belong. You and Guzma continue down the city street.


End file.
